New to this world
by raniakadum
Summary: a Kakashi's daughter (sort of) fanfic...it's about an OC who he shares an extraordinary bond with due to mutual understanding of hardships -rated M for violence- The story is available on Wattpad under the same name
1. A broken promise

Filled with pride and bewilderment alike, Kakashi stood near the cheering crowd who were throwing Naruto in the air...who could believe that that goofy troublemaker would become the savior of the leaf village?...the one who saved it from the clutches of the Akatsuki, namely Pain

But something was amiss...only he couldn't put his finger on it, having just been resurrected from the dead makes your head a bit fuzzy

It'd been bugging him for sometime now, like he was forgetting something...something important..

And then it hit him..

He immediately left the place and made for the tents, where he was told that they kept the injured..he felt utterly horrible for forgetting something like that

He was at lady hokage's tent in no time, not bothering with formalities..he barged in to find Shizune sitting beside a comatose, old-looking lady Tsunade

Shizune jumped to her feet and looked at him with an angry expression masking her tear-streaked face

An expression that was immediately changed to that of regret when he asked her "where is Hiromi?" He said urgently

Shizune lowered her head causing his heart to drop...his fears were confirmed, and that feeling he had finally made sense

"Shizune!" He said, in a higher tone than necessary, causing her to jump

She looked at the far right corner of the tent, where a body layed unmoving, covered with bandages from head to toe..he was about to ask who it was before noticing the golden hair strands coming out from between the bandages on her head...

His eyes widened as he could recognize that hair anywhere..it was definitely her..

Not having the strength to talk for it was drained the moment he saw what became of her..all he was left to do was stare at her, eyes full of regret and sense of failure

"I'll explain everything" lady Katsuyu said, appearing from behind Shizune and snapping him out of his dull thoughts

He turned his attention from Hiromi to lady Katsuyu but not without difficulty, and she took it as a cue to start talking "I don't know what you know and don't, so I'll start from the moment I was to observe Hiromi.."

~a piece from the past~

Family..it was a word, merely a word for her..until she met him

After that day, things started looking brighter..and life started feeling warmer..she had two people, people she loved and was loved by...one silver haired ninja and a lovely old man

..

She knew at the time that something unusual was going on in the village, but she was ordered to not leave hiding, and the orders she obeyed

With all the power she had..she stayed in hiding..obeying...

Only to completely lose control over herself when she heard the ominous words "l..lord..lord Hokage..has passed away"

It was after an attack on the village by Orochimaru...of all people

Obeying the orders..that was something she regretted with every minute she spent in her three years of solitary..where she had more than enough time to rethink her decisions, to feel guilt, hurt and most of all, yearning

Yearning for when the day would finally come when she could see him again..hug him and have her hair ruffled by his free hand, for that the other one would be holding his beloved book

..

She was used to solitary..but it was much easier when she had nothing..when she didn't know what life could be outside of her prison

But now, things were different...she chose to be imprisoned..she chose to be separated from him..all for the purpose of trying to take control over her power..after seeing it going wild..she had to be shut from the world

Because for her, that was the only choice there was...with her power out of control, she could not risk being close to him, nor to anyone

And that's why she decided to be confined until she gained control over her power..

But it was definitely easier said than done..it was more enormous than ever..more twisted and dark..but keeping her goal clearly in front of her eyes, she kept going..

~a little before the present moment~

Three years had passed, three years she'd counted by the day..

It was that feeling again..that something wasn't right..

She jumped as an explosion rang..

Her heart immediately dropped..an ominous sense of déjà vu

'No...no..I have to stay here..I pose a much bigger threat than anything out there' she tried to convince herself

She was walking back and forth..both physically and mentally, not knowing what the right thing to do was

But her worry over one masked ninja was more than any other feeling she had..and so it quickly took over and drove her out of the building..

She didn't see anyone around in the building which was a bad sign, but she kept advancing..not even noticing that she was barefoot..

When she made it outside, she saw what became of the peaceful village where she'd wandered along with Kakashi

She shook her head out of the shock and looked around before sensing where Kakashi was

She ran as fast as her legs allowed, not minding her feet getting scraped or anything else..

She finally arrived..and what she saw shattered the glass inside of her..

Is wasn't like before..like when she heard about the Hokage's death..it wasn't even close..because what she felt wasn't similar to anything..because he was dead..Kakashi was dead

The ground shook beneath her feet and the clouds scattered in the sky above as her pupils widened until her eyes turned back..before she exploded into a raging flame of black chakra..

A predatory need for blood, destruction and inflicting pain to everything she saw...but to the one who did this most of all

She could see remains in the distance, remains that had traces of Kakashi's chakra along with another...she didn't waste a second before launching into an attack on anyone with the same chakra

She destroyed four of them without a trace, before coming face to face with the last one..

He had orange hair and multiple piercings like the others she killed, but unlike them he apparently could levitate and was levitating in midair, looking down at everything..

She stood at a distance from him where she too levitated..slowly gathering chakra into her hand..savoring the delicious feeling..as the black flames raged even more

It was but for a moment..it was when she looked down at where a man was helping an old lady from under the debris..it was as if all those monstrous needs were put aside for a fraction of a second

What was she doing?!, with the chakra she was gathering..she could wipeout the village..no, not again...

She didn't know how to stop the chakra she had in her hand from growing..and if it wasn't stopped..if she wasn't stopped, she'd lose it again..

She couldn't think of anything, she was the source of that power, so out of despair, she hit herself with her chakra..

Her hand penetrated her middle as she fell down from the sky..looking at the last one of those orange-haired monsters kept levitating slowly

She hit the ground hard, and felt some bones break..she laid on her back for a while, a blank expression on her face, for that all of the feelings she had could not take over her face at the same time..

It hurt..everything hurt, every movement, every thought..but she had to continue, for a little bit longer..she had to see him once more..just once

She struggled to stand up..the wound in her stomach bled more, and her bones ached more, but she stood up, swaying, and walked to where Kakashi was

Bloody footprints were left all the way..until she made it..

Seeing him, lifeless, his forehead had a streak of cold blood on it..she collapsed onto her knees, throwing up and hysterically crying

It wasn't like anytime she'd ever cried before...this time it was different, this time crying meant accepting defeat..and she knew that she was utterly and completely defeated

Fighting for as long as her memory went back...it ended now..she'd lost everything...everything

Blood, bile and tears pooled beneath her..then she stood up again..for this one last act..

She pushed the debris from around him, shots of pain running through her whole body..

She then laid his body nearby, then laid beside him, her head resting on his arm..she held his hand and was about to close her eyes before noticing something...something that made her heart ache..more

He had the ribbon tied on the metal plate on his clove..she teared up again and smiled, before taking the ribbon and tying it around both of their thumbs..then held his hand to her heart and closed her eyes

It was impulsive, she didn't even know she was doing it, but a white ora of her chakra surrounded Kakashi...protecting him from the assault that the last orange-haired man launched

It was finally..over

~the present~

"When the destructive wave hit, I protected all the shinobi with parts of my body..but I couldn't do the same to you or her..her chakra burned me when I made contact with it..

When the dust settled, it appeared that she could only protect you, leaving her open...Shiamaru came from where I had him covered and saw what I saw...he was the one to bring her in" lady Katsuyu said, then looked at Shizune to continue

"Oh, um..seeing how her body was abused, I closed the wounds and with the help of the medical core...we placed a cast on the broken bones in her left arm and right leg...they're..fractured" she said the last part quietly, looking down

Shizune looked at lady Katsuyu who nodded before continuing "honestly...I...we're not even sure weather or not she's alive...we can't feel any pulse, she's not breathing, and her body's cold, but blood still ran through her veins as for the time of the surgery..other than that, we can't get any readings on her vitals, it's as if we're being...blocked..by something.."

She looked at lady Katsuyu again before continuing "we suspect that it's that special chakra of hers form her being the target of her own attack, it could be shielding her body from the inside, but we doubt that it's for the good...since that wound from her attack isn't showing any signs of healing" she said in the lowest tone possible

Kakashi didn't have anything to say..he couldn't say anything...it was like Rin all over again

He thought that he'd changed, he never let a comrade die after Rin..but this proved him terribly wrong..

Pulling him out of his dark thoughts, a sharp inhale came from the right corner of the tent

His head immediately snapped to the side with his eyes wide open...it was Hiromi

She was struggling to breathe so Kakashi and Shizune hurried to her side, They turned her body to the side and moved the bandages from over her mouth as she immediately threw up the blood that was suffocating her

After she was done, They put her back with a relieved sigh "thank god" Shizune said, standing up

..

After the medical team checked her, it became clear that whatever was blocking them was now gone, they figured that in time it just..dissolved away

It appeared that she was alive..barely, and had sustained various injuries making her chances of survival thin

Hiromi was moved to another tent, she was still unconscious with Kakashi sitting at her side

He looked at the ribbon that Shizune tied back on her finger after wrapping her hands with bandages, the sight of the ribbon on her hand, brought back some memories..

~in the past~

Kakashi was on his way back to the leaf, jumping on tree branches on a fairly cold night, after a successful mission..

Hearing the sound of cracking branches, he immediately stopped..he doubted that it was a shinobi since they were very skilled at stealth, but on the other hand..no one in their right mind would go out on a time like this if it wasn't a shinobi and so he stood behind a tree waiting..

The footsteps were slow and small..hesitant, something unusual for a shinobi...they kept their slow approach until they were within range for an ambush..

He immediately came from behind the tree and ready to appear behind the expected enemy only to stand still, shocked, it was a little girl..

She jumped in surprise and held a..'piece of glass?' -he thought to himself- in an aggressive position, but surely it was non threatening to him and so he chanced a step forward..

The girl was surprised and took a step back, tightening her grip on the sharp glass, cutting her palm

His eyebrows raised in surprise and slight worry "hey, hey easy!" He said holding out his hands in a calming manner and causing her to flinch, take a step back, cut her palm deeper and start bleeding

"I'm not.." he said, scaring her, so noticing her reaction, he lowered his tone..he was never good with kids "I'm not gonna hurt you"

She obviously looked doubtful and gave him a suspicious look as her bleeding got worse "let go of that, you're hurting yourself!" He said and again scared her

He sighed and tried again "I'm sorry...here, let me" he said nicely, taking slow steps forward

She didn't back up but looked very scared, unconsciously holding the glass tighter "give me this" he said taking the sharp glass, she didn't let go at first but the nice look he gave her, changed her mind...he was getting better at this

"Let me see" he said taking her hand and crouching 'oh that's not good' he thought.."hold on" he said standing up

He found a small cloth in one of his pockets then opened the scrolls' pockets and took a ribbon that was tying one of them

"May I?" He said holding the cloth

Holding her hand to her chest, she looked at him then at the things he held then back at him and gave him a hesitant nod

He put the cloth on her injury and tied it around her small hand with the ribbon as she was watching him carefully as he did so..him not her hand, closing her eyes from the pain occasionally but not making a single sound

When he was done, he looked at her "what's your name?" She just stared at him

"Where are your parents?" He thought that there might have been an accident that separated them but the girl shook her head 'no'

He didn't ask what it meant so instead he asked "where are you from?"

She looked down then tilted her head and raised her shoulders after a while in an 'I don't know' motion

Kakashi looked around the dark woods..there was no way for her to make it through the night if she was to be left here..not knowing her village or anything about her, he decided to take her back to the Leaf until they've figured things out

"Will you come with me?"

She looked hesitant then looked down at her hand then back up giving him a nod "hop on" he said crouching and giving her his back

She didn't know what to do and so "just..come close" she stood right behind him "give me your foot" she did so "wrap your hands around my neck" she did so "the other foot" he held her feet with his hands since her legs were too short to wrap around his middle

And then he set on his way..

She was quiet all the way, and after a while..she raised her left, unharmed hand to touch the wet leaves as a smile spread on her face

Kakashi looked over his shoulder at her and shook his head 'kids' he thought

...

The way back was quiet and they were at the village's gate..Kakashi stepped in, only to be faced with almost all the shinobi of the village all armed and ready for battle..against him it seemed


	2. One more time

Kakashi stopped, confused about the looks he was receiving

"What's wrong?"

"Hands in the air"

"What?" He said, shocked

"Hands in the air!" It was more rough

"Okay" he said slowly and looked over his shoulder "hey there, you want to come down" he said gently, yes, he was definitely getting better at this

The girl looked at him pleadingly not wanting to be put down, but she saw that he wanted to put her down, so she nodded

He slowly put her down and she held on to his leg as she hid behind it

"That's it!" A shinobi from the 'Hyuga' -Kakashi thought- shouted and all the shinobi sprinted forward

"Whoa! hey" Kakashi said, grabbing the girl and jumping back to a tree branch

"Put down that..thing" one of them said

"Not until you tell me why" he countered

One of them shouted but was interrupted by 'Guy' "Kakashi, a report from the Hyuga came a while ago, saying that a missive power entered the village's barrier and the shinobi are to prevent the oncoming danger" Guy explained

"If it's so 'massive' then why couldn't I sense it..I wouldn't have brought her here if I did" he felt her hold tightening on his leg as he said so

"None of you can, only us Hyuga can see it's dark and twisted nature with our Byakugan so no blame befalls you...it's nothing like anything we've ever sat eyes on before" a shinobi from the Hyuga said

Kakashi looked at the girl behind his leg, she was looking at him with teary eyes..as if begging him...were they really talking about her? It wasn't possible

He hesitated then raised his head "I want to speak to lord Hokage"

"Give it to us then do whatever you want"

It? Couldn't they see that it was just a little girl "no, I want to speak to lord Hokage first"

"Who do you-" a shinobi shouted and was interrupted "it's alright, what do you want to say to me Kakashi" said the third Hokage

All the shinobi kneeled and so did Kakashi, he then raised his head and told him how he found the girl..

..

"Is that so" said the third after hearing Kakashi's story

"Yes, sir"

"Alright then..we're going to get her to the Intel division to learn her story...and she seems quite attached to you so you take her" the third said

"Yes, sir" Kakashi said and turned towards the girl as the shiniobi were sent away to their homes reluctantly by orders of the third

Kakashi kneeled to her level, thought about what to do for a moment, then awkwardly placed both hands on her shoulders, the gesture seemed to confuse her...it wasn't that comfortable for him either "we're going to see some people and they're going to ask you some questions, okay?" He said

She nodded, she seemed to be trusting him a bit more now..she walked so that she was standing behind him then climbed his back...he shook his head and chuckled then held her feet before heading for the Intel division..

She looked around at the village in bewilderment with sparkling eyes, but never asked a single question or made any sound

..

They arrived at their destination and he put her down so they could walk in but she stayed behind

He made a 'come' motion with his hand hand for her "come" he said, she seemed hesitant a bit but she took his hand..his eyebrows furrowed but he didn't say anything and they went in

She held his hand tighter every step of the way until they saw Ibiki and Inoichi when she hid once more behind his leg

"There you are" said Inoichi with a smile as Ibiki kept his stern expression acknowledging Kakashi with a nod

"Inoichi, Ibiki" Kakashi nodded

"Alright, come here" said Inoichi nicely, holding out a hand

The girl looked at Kakashi who nodded, so she took hesitant steps and took the hand she was offered

Inoichi guided her to a chair then grabbed her and placed her on it..

She held her knees to her chest, making her appear even smaller on the large chair

"Okay now, how about we start with a name, what's your name, little girl?" He asked, Kakashi was impressed and was taking notes on how to deal with kids

The girl didn't answer, she just stared at him "it's ok, if you don't want to say...but I'd feel a lot better if you answered my next question" he said with a smile, as Ibiki was clearly running out of patience

"Do you have any parents?" She looked at him for a second then at Kakashi then back at him and shook her head 'no'

"Who were you with before Kakashi found you?"

In a second, her expression changed from uncertainty to pure horror as she hugged her knees tighter and started looking around frantically while breathing hard

"It's okay..it's okay, they're not here now...you're safe" Inoichi reassured her, and it worked a bit "ok now, I'm going to read your thoughts so you don't have to answer my questions okay?"

She looked at Kakashi who nodded so she did as well

Inoichi held his hand to her head when she shrieked "NOOOO!" He immediately jumped back because the moment the girl screamed, she was surrounded by some weird aura...like visible chakra, only it was much more powerful than any chakra any of them ever felt

Reflexively, Inoichi and Ibiki held their Kunai

"What are you doing?!" Kakashi exclaimed "she's just a frightened kid!"

He slowly walked towards her so not to scare her, she was crying, surrounded by that aura "hey hey, calm down" he said the last part slowly

"Don't...don't..please " she said between gasps "t..tell lord Or..or..ochima..aru I...don't..don't want it..it hur..rts"

'Orochimaru' -he thought- "Orochimaru isn't here...you're with me remember?" She stopped looking around and looked at him "I found you in the woods today, you were hurt and I treated your wound...see" he pointed at her hand

She held her hand and looked at it for a while until she was calm, then looked at him, still sniffling "you okay now?" He asked, the aura around her seemed to disappear

"'M okay" she said wiping her tears, it was the first time he heard her normal voice, and it was so cute it drew a faint smile on his face

"Is it okay if Inoichi continues or do you want to do it later?"

"N..now" she nodded

Kakashi nodded to Inoichi "please..stay" she said when Kakashi was about to return to his previous spot

"Ok" he shrugged and did as asked

"It won't hurt a bit, I promise" said Inoichi and she nodded

He put his hand on her forehead, she flinched and looked for Kakashi's hand, he noticed but hesitated for a moment before holding hers with his

And then the information extraction began..

...

It took much longer than usual and when it was over..Inoichi fell to his knees, breathing hard

"Inoichi!" Exclaimed Ibiki

"I'm..ok" he said between breaths

..

They sat him on a chair until he was breathing normally again

"It was harder than anytime I've done this jutsu" he said "and what I got isn't good news"

"Ok, do tell" Kakashi said

"Well it wasn't all clear but that's what I gathered: she was born into an ordinary village, didn't see a mother in her memories, I think she died delivering or soon after, the father imprisoned her for four years until one day the door of the cage was left open and she sneaked out..it seemed that the villagers held grudges against her which might have lead to her imprisonment in the first place

And when she was out, they attacked her...when she got hurt more than she could bare...she exploded with that same power we saw, it was enormous, leaving no trace of the village but a plain wasteland

Orochimaru found her and took her in, no doubt seeking her power..her reaction to my jutsu was because it looks similar to what Orochimaru used to do to her, he extracted some of her chakra daily for his experiments which was excruciating for her..until one day after about three years with him she exploded the same way she did back in her village wiping out his hideout and the area surrounding it

That's about all I got...it appears that you found her after she destroyed the hideout"

Kakashi felt really bad, this girl's life was hell itself..he looked at her, sleeping peacefully on the chair, curled into a little ball..

...

He reported to the Hokage about what they learned and the Hokage decided to allow her to stay in the village, but to stay in the Hokage's building, confined in her room for the safety of the village

Kakashi was the only one other than the Hokage who was allowed to accompany her outside, to avoid provoking her and he was to keep her company and watch over her..since the Hokage saw how she was attached to him, he knew that Kakashi would be the perfect choice for guarding her

When he left the Hokage's room, Kakashi headed home, he reckoned the girl'd be afraid when she woke up, but it wasn't his business the Hokage was more than capable of dealing with the situation..

..

Sleep didn't come as easy as usually to Kakashi, he found himself thinking about that girl for some reason, the way she trusted him...he'd betrayed trust before...then sleep finally took over

..

In the morning he changed into his outfit and left to the Hokage's..

..

He got in and headed to the third's room but he didn't find him there

In the hallway, he found the Hokage walking with the little girl holding his hand with her little ones, the scene surprisingly planted a barely noticeable smile on his face under the mask

"You!" She exclaimed and ran towards him then hugged him around the hip

"Whoa!" He exclaimed as he chuckled, then patted her head awkwardly

"Well, I guess I'm not needed here anymore" the Hokage said before passing beside them, Kakashi bowed his head and the girl looked at him and copied his gesture, looking at him sideways

When the Hokage was out of sight, the girl looked at him with glowing eyes "come" she said as she held his hand and dragged him behind

His eyebrows rose in surprise, 'that's the same girl from last night?' -he thought- as he followed her

"This is my roooom!" She said as she jumped and spread her hands "do you like it, lord Kakashi?" She added shyly

"Lord?" He chuckled

"Mmhm?" She said, not sure "wait" she said holding a finger then ran in the room towards the bed then came back with a book "it says that it expresses respect towards someone" she should him the book, pointing at the word

He chuckled "is that so" he said playfully "so you respect me"

She nodded quickly

He chuckled "no, lord is too strong a word, I don't like to be called that"

She looked disappointed and lowered the book "sorry"

"What? Oh don't be sad now...we'll just have to find another name, or you can just call me Kakashi"

She shook her head then looked back in the book

..

They sat for some time, she was looking in the book which he was watching over her, luckily he didn't have any other missions today, but it was far from luck..the Hokage must've arranged it that way

It was kind of babysitting, only it had to be the most dangerous babysitting job in the world since the girl he was watching could exceed the tailed beasts in power for all they knew

"Father?" She asked

"Hm?"

"Father is a word used for the one who takes care of me" she she raised her injured hand for emphasis, it was wrapped with a bandage now, but it still had the ribbon tied around it

He chuckled at her naivety "no, father is used for the person who brought you into this world"

"Oh" she said before going back to the dictionary

He looked at her for a couple of seconds..watching her made him feel..it was just strange..different, yet..familiar somehow

He shook his head and returned to the book

..

"I found it!" She exclaimed with her high pitched, childish voice "unkle!" She beamed

"Unkle?"

"It's a word used to refer to a person dear to me, and takes care of me and is like..'family'" she said happily

"I'm a person that is dear to you?" He said playfully, it was kind of...sweet

"Yes unkle Kakashi!" She laughed saying his name "you are the only one who cared for me...and I found a word for Hokage too, I'll call him grandpa!" She was talking so happily, a smile lighting her face "I love you and grandpa Hokage both.." she leaned closer to his ear "but you more" she whispered

A slow..small smile worked it's way across his lips and he ruffled her hair.." you know, I still don't know your name" he said

"It's Akuma" she said nonchalantly

'Akuma?!' He thought 'that's horrible, who would name their child that?!' He turned towards her "how about I give you a name too? But unlike the one you gave me, everyone will be calling you by it not only me, ok?"

"Really, you'd do that?!" she said , eyes glowing

"Yes" he chuckled, she was so easily pleased

..

"I have one" he said

"What is it?" She asked, jumping from excitement

"Hiromi"

"I love it!" She jumped happily, repeating the name over and over, drawing a tiny smile on Kakashi's face, without him noticing

..a few days later..

"Kimi-!" Hiromi said in surprise before stopping short "oh" she said somberly and continued reading

It was odd so Kakashi asked "what is it?" He said casually..he didn't really care about her answer

"I...I thought it read Kimimaro...it was only Kimio" she said, filled with disappointment

He reluctantly closed the book, the girl seemed depressed so he had to see what's up, not that he wanted to but.."who's that?" He said lazily

"He's..um..Kimimaro!" She said with a warm smile as if she was remembering something "he was like me..he was in a cage when he was little too..everyone was mean to him until l..lord Orochimaru found him..he was very happy ever since" she said with that far away smile

"I used to play with him, he was a big boy and didn't want to, but he played with me when lord Orochimaru wasn't there because he didn't want me to cry" she giggled "I miss him" she added after a while

Kimimaro was like a big brother to her..not that she knew what a big brother was..Kakashi heard what she said and returned to his book feeling a bit bad for her

..a few days later..

Hiromi was sitting atop the Third Hokage's office as he looked at the village from his window

It wasn't time for Kakashi to come yet so she was hanging out with.."grandpa Hokage" she called

"Yes?"

"Why is unkle Kakashi sad?" She asked, fiddling with the Hokage's hat

"Oh you're quite the smart one, aren't you" he said with a smile

She looked at him for an answer

"He..lost his father then the people he considered to be his family one after another in his younger years..he has changed ever since"

"Oh" she said sadly..she didn't really know what 'family' was, but she didn't want to ask more about the subject at the moment

..

"Grandpa Hokage" she said, stifling a giggle "'for the good of the village'" she said when he turned to look at her, changing her voice, raising her shoulders..mimicking the Third

He laughed heartedly...she was wearing the hat that was way too big for her small head with her messy hair everywhere..she had aging lines drawn on her face, near the eyes, the pen she used was in her mouth to mimic the 'pipe' and was standing with her chest and shoulders up

Kakashi entered at that moment and froze at the door, surprised...the Hokage was laughing and Hiromi was too..she had a clown-face and a hat that was practically larger than her torso

They noticed him after they finished laughing and the Hokage cleared his throat as Hiromi wiped the tears from her eyes

"Kakashi" the Hokage greeted

"S..sir" Kakashi bowed his head, still a bit shocked

"Good morning unkle Kakashi" Hiromi said and he nodded

She hopped from the desk and ran to stand beside Kakashi so they could go to her room

"Oh" she said when she was at the door and ran back to the Hokage to give his hat back..with a little hug on the side "bye sir grandpa Hokage" she said when she let go..making him laugh again

Kakashi shook his head with a small chuckle and left with her to her room

..a few days later..

Kakashi entered the room that was unusually quiet..he'd expected at least a 'good morning'

He walked in, looking for her..he was sure that she was in the room since he stopped at the Hokage's room and she wasn't there

"Hiromi?"

He jumped a little as her messy head popped from behind the bed "good morning unkle Kakashi" she greeted hastily with a smile before going back to her task

Normally, he wouldn't care..but for some reason he felt a bit curious..

He walked closer to see what she was doing but she immediately covered the drawing and looked up at him, cheeks rosy "no" she said

His eyebrows wrinkled 'now I'm curious'

"Let me finish first...it looks funny now" she blushed more and it was cute

"Okay" he shrugged and took a chair to read his book

..

She was so focused on her task that she lost track of time..it was almost dinner time and she still haven't had lunch

"Done!" She exclaimed happily

Kakashi had forgotten about what she was doing since he himself was preoccupied with his book

She walked towards him with the 'painting' in hand "what do you think?" She asked, cheeks burning red

He was truly shocked...it was the real thing!, as if it was done by professionals..it was so beautiful and expressive

"You..made this?" He asked pointing at it

She giggled and blushed more then nodded quickly, biting her lower lip

"It's..gorgeous" he never thought of himself to be one to give compliments for support..he only gave them if they were well deserved..and if a professional painting by a seven-year-old wasn't worth complimenting, then nothing was

"Really?" She said, looking down shyly

"Yes..this is..me?" He asked..it was a picture of him with hands in his pockets..looking far ahead during sunset...the colors, details..everything was spot on

She nodded "I thought..I don't know...I just wanted to..to have a picture of you" she said looking at the ground and biting on her lips

He smiled warmly...he didn't know that she cared about him like that

...a week later...

"What?" He asked, he didn't care at first but now that she'd been staring at him for minutes, he wanted to know why

"Oh..I'm sorry" she said and returned to her book

He shrugged and returned to his book as well

..

He felt her staring again, he sighed and asked again

"I..I was wondering why you cover your left eye and...yeah" she wanted to know what's up with the mask too..but let's just start with the eye

He uncovered it revealing his Sharingan

She gaped and dropped her book to run towards him "you're hurt!" she said with a worried expression and hands on her mouth

He chuckled..a bit touched that she was worried about him "it's just a scar..I'm okay" he said with a little smile

"A..scar" she felt a tickle in her back

He nodded

"Why is it red?" She asked about his eye

"It's...special...it has a special power"

"Oooh...what does it do?" She asked sitting on the floor beside him

"It..well, different things...for example, I can see a person's chakra.." he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose...how would she know what chakra was "chakra is like...it's the power inside of a person's body?" He didn't know how to put it in simple terms

"Can you see my..'charka'?" She sat straighter

He chuckled then stopped and thought for a while..he never tried..for some reason it never occurred to him...so he closed his other eye and focused with the Sharingan

At first, it didn't look like anything abnormal..except that she was a kid and had that much chakra...but he knew that much

But the longer he looked..he started seeing some abnormal colors...white and..black?

That wasn't how chakra was supposed to look like! He covered his eye and opened the other one "you have some special chakra" he said

"I do?" She said with a smile..looking at herself

..a few days later..

They both were reading as they sat in the huge room, same as always

They've grown more used to each other in the past days..

"Unkle Kakashi" she called

"Yes"

"What is 'family', I see that word a lot..and I read what it means but I..I don't understand" she said quietly, it was so unlike her enthused manner of speech

"To be honest, I don't either...I never had a family, not really..." he said then paused to give her question some thought

"I think that family isn't just the family that brings you into this world...it's people that you hold dear and they feel the same for you, you care for each other..I think that's family" he said after some time with a faraway look

She looked at him as he spoke..thought about what the Hokage told her about Kakashi...she felt guilt for asking him that question but when she remembered the Hokage's words..she'd already asked him

"You are my family unkle Kakashi" she said with a warm smile as she hugged his head, since he was sitting

He smiled, ever since that girl came into his life, he smiled a lot, the type of smile he'd almost forgotten, the sincere, honest, warm smile..the one that left him when his friends did

..a few days later..

"Are you hungry?" He asked

She raised her head from where it was buried in a book...he was surprised that she was okay with spending the past days only reading..he'd imagined that kids liked to play from what he saw in the genin he tested before..but she never did anything but read or talk to him..she did draw, but that didn't count

Reading didn't bother him, especially since he had his pervy book to read, but it was strange that she was content with just reading

"Yes, a little"

"How about we go out for lunch today?" He offered

Her eyes widened "really?" She said, getting teary eyed

"What's the matter?" He asked, concerned a little

"I thought that you should keep me here, that I couldn't go out..like..like before" she said

"No, why would I do such thing" he said then thought for a while before continuing "didn't you say that I was family?"

She nodded

"Family is supposed to take care of you, not imprison you..it's just that you're not allowed to go unless it's with me or lord third since you're still little"

"Thank you" she hugged him, she did that a lot

"Of course, where would you like to go?"

"Everywhere" she said jumping

"Alright" he chuckled

..

She was trembling in excitement on the way out of the building

Once they were out, she held his hand and they walked through the village

"Who's this?" She asked pointing at someone randomly

"I don't know" he said casually

"Why?"

"Well, I don't know him because there is no reason for me to do so"

"Oh, okay" she said "and this?" She pointed at another one

"Her either" he chuckled "I don't know a lot of people here"

"Oh"

She was looking in bewilderment at everything and everyone in the village "what is this?' She asked

"A cat"

"Ooh, yes, it looks just like Fuu from that book" she said then laughed "he was funny"

..

"Unkle Kakashi" she asked, looking at a group of people

"Yes"

"Do you have friends?"

This question was painful...did he have friends?...he did, once have three people he considered to be family, and now they all are gone...so did he?

"Yes"

"Really? Can I meet them?"

"They're not here..they left on missions"

"Why aren't you on a mission?"

"Who says that I'm not?"

"You're with me" she said

"Yes, and that's my mission"

"Oh" she said sadly

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing" she tried to sound nonchalant

"You sure?"

"Um, it's just that...it's just that I thought you wanted to be here..I didn't know that you were forced"

"First, a mission is optional, I can refuse if I didn't want to do it...and second, I don't mind being here, if it's my mission, it doesn't mean that I'm not enjoying it"

"So you're enjoying yourself?" She asked looking at him with sparkly eyes

"Well, I didn't say that.." he said playfully

"I love you Unkle Kakashi" she said with a smile, looking at the ribbon she now wore as a bracelet then back at him

He was sort of enjoying himself...having plenty of time to rest and read his book..and though he wasn't likely to admit it but having the girl around was..kind of warming

..

They walked for a a couple minutes of silence before Hiromi broke it "what are those" she said slowly, in amazement

"Balloons" he answered

"Why are they flying?"

"Because they are full of light gas"

"If I breathe that gas, can I fly too?" she said excitedly after a couple of seconds

"No" he chuckled "you need more than you can fit in your lungs if you want to fly..beside it's not good for you to breathe the gas"

"Oh"

"Don't give me that sad face, you can still own one...which one do you want?"

Her eyes widened in surprise "the, the yellow one!" she said jumping

Kakashi payed for the balloon and the man who sold it kneeled to Hiromi's level with the balloon's thread in his hand..Hiromi immediately hid behind Kakashi's leg

"It's ok Hiromi" Kakashi said, she looked at him then came from behind his leg

"You're quite the cute one aren't you!" The salesman said "how about we tie it on that beautiful bracelet of yours so it won't fly away?"

Hiromi nodded and the man tied the thread around the ribbon, then they left

"So, do you like it?"

She nodded quickly with a wide smile causing one to appear on his face

..

"This is pretty" a little girl said, she had to be about two years younger than Hiromi "where did you get it?"

"From Mister, over there" Hiromi said pointing back

"Oh, mommy won't let me get one, I lost my balloon" the girl said sadly

"You can play with me" Hiromi offered

"Thank you!" The girl exclaimed

"Can we stay here a little bit, unkle Kakashi?" Hiromi said

"Sure"

The girls started playing with the balloon, they were trying to catch it without using the thread, or run and look back at how it followed them

"She's really sweet" the other girl's mother said, she just got back from the near grocery shop to find the girls playing

"Yes..she is" Kakashi said..looking at Hiromi

"You...you're a single father?" the woman said, blushing

"Oh, she's not mine..I'm looking after her for the time being" he answered casually, standing his usual stance, hands in his pockets

The woman blushed even more "Oh..I am a single mother" she started sweating a bit

"You are?" He wasn't interested the least bit, he just didn't know how else to say

"Yeah...my husband and I got divorced a short while after we had Machi-" the woman was interrupted by the girls running right between them, almost bumping into them

The balloon hit one of the street lamps, causing the ribbon that it was tied on to untie, since it was already loosened from the girls playing with the balloon

Hiromi stood still with a blank expression, watching the balloon fly away

Then her expression slowly changed and she started crying

Kakashi's eyebrows furrowed..'crying over a balloon, really Hiromi?' He shook his head irritably and went to her side "hey, It's ok, I'll get you a new one"

He was sure she heard, but she kept crying..which was strange, knowing how easily she was pleased..so there had to be more to it than the balloon, only he couldn't get her to say what with all the crying going on

He was getting nervous, as the balloon flew further, she cried harder..and he feared that soon her chakra would come loose like before

The village was busy with people, but he had no other choice "earth style, mud wall!" he said then hit the ground, from where a very tall mud wall came out

Hiromi jumped from the sound and was looking at him in a mixture of awe and some fear

He then ran up the wall until he was a couple meters higher than the balloon, he jumped from off the wall and caught the balloon, only now he was free falling..but he had a plan..

He wrapped the thread around his finger in order to get it out of the way so he could weave the sign of "shadow clone jutsu" he said as a shadow clone appeared behind him and gave him a good push

He caught the wall and clung on with his chakra as the shadow clone disappeared, then he walked down, when he was on the ground, he went to Hiromi with the balloon in hand as the mud wall started to retract

"Here" he said handing her the balloon, she didn't take it, she just took the ribbon that was tied to its thread and wore it around her wrist, then held her hand to her heart

"You wanted the ribbon?!...you know, I have a whole bunch of them, if you just asked, I could've given you another one!" He said..a bit irritated, he had to go through all of that trouble for that stupid ribbon, that big of a mud wall took a lot out of him

"I'm...I'm sorry...I didn't mean to make you m..ad" she started crying again

'Aw, come on' just when he started to feel like his mission was going swiftly..she gave him trouble in one day, more than the past days alltogether

"Oh don't cry now..I'm not" he said in the same irritated tone, then he noticed and tried again "I'm not mad...it's okay, don't cry Hiromi"

It didn't work "hey you know what, we still haven't had lunch" he said then smiled and said dramatically "and here I thought about giving you a piggy back ride to the shop, but since you're sad, I guess we'll just have to go back home"

"B..but you're mad...you, you sh..ould hit m..me" she said, barely above a whisper

"What?!" He said, the smile gone from his face..she was crying because she thought he'd punish her?!..he felt really bad, he should have never acted that way, it's just hard to remember her past all the time

"Hiromi I would never hurt you..never think that I or anyone else would ever hurt you ever again" he said then looked down...remembered a promise he'd failed to keep..could he do it one more time?..make a promise to someone..he may not admit it, but after about a month with the girl..she was someone he cared about..

Maybe, he can keep a promise..if he tried, one more time

"I promise you, as long as I'm alive, no one would ever lay a hand on you...and whatever you do, even if it pisses me off, we can just...talk it out"

She stopped crying in order to hear him, and when he was done, she cried again, only this time she threw herself around his waist, hugging him "th..th..an..k y..you" she said

"You're welcome" he said with a smile and a small chuckle..he just hoped that he would honor the promise he made...this wasn't just a mission anymore..come to think of it, it's stopped being so sometime ago

When she calmed down he kneeled to his knees "how about lunch now?" He said, giving her his back

She nodded and wiped her tears then climbed his back

They turned to go to find Machi and her mother still there, the latter's eyes were practically hearts as she looked at Kakashi

"Unkle Kakashi, is it okay if I give my balloon to Machi?" She whispered in his ear

"Sure"

He stopped beside them so that Hiromi could give her friend the balloon then they left "goodbye Machi!" Hiromi called

"Ba bye!" The girl said waving her hand, she then turned towards her mother to see her staring at Kakashi with hearts in her eyes "momma?"

(A/N)

So how do you like this chapter..pleases tell me what you think


	3. A bond a ribbon

"This one" she pointed at a restaurant, after he'd asked her to choose

"Alright" he said, entering 'sweet dumplings' he was sure that he knew the shop, he just couldn't remember from where

Hiromi was still on his back, he walked towards a table when an all too familiar voice stopped him "Kakashi!, my eternal rival!"

Hiromi jumped at the high tone of Guy's voice and clung tighter to Kakashi "Guy" he said unenthusiastically

"I..It's the mister fr..from that day" Hiromi said, trembling

"It's okay Hiromi, he's a..friend" 'unfortunately' he didn't like to admit it out loud but Guy was his best friend after...what happened with the rest

"Kakashi, I never knew you had a daughter..who's the lucky bride?" Guy said

"She's not my daughter Guy, she's the girl from four days ago, remember?" Kakashi said in the same unenthusiastic manner

"No, I would if I'd seen her, I never forget a face!"

'Sure' Kakashi was surprised that Guy has yet to forget his face, but now that he thought about it, Hiromi hid behind his leg the whole time, so he couldn't have seen her, not that he'd remember if her did

"Aren't your friends out on missions, unkle Kakashi?"

"Yeah, that's what I thought..turns out I was wrong" 'lucky me'

"Lets eat! My treat..let's fill ourselves with youth!" He exclaimed taking a seat

Kakashi rolled his eyes and put Hiromi down as they both sat, she kept eyeing Guy and Kakashi couldn't blame her..he was indeed a strange fellow

..

They got the dumplings and Hiromi ate her full, not paying attention to when Kakashi lowered the mask in order to eat, and neither did Guy...they were too busy stuffing their faces

As for the adjacent table who had the honor of seeing his face, the girls had hearts for eyes and the guys were rolling theirs

"I'm done unkle Kakashi" Hiromi announced "can I go wash my hands?"

Kakashi thought about it for a while, he couldn't go along to the ladies room, and he couldn't send her alone, even if it was close

"Um...how about you wait until we-" he was interrupted by a crowd of giggling, blushing girls

"We'll take her if that's okay" one of them said

"Well, that's awfully nice of you" he said, surprised and they giggled and blushed more in return

Hiromi was scared, she wasn't used to that many people, especially in the strange way they were acting "c'mere biscuit" one of them said

Hiromi looked at Kakashi for permission and he nodded, she took one of their hands and walked with them into the washroom

Once they were there, one of the ladies grabbed her and placed her on the sink to wash her hands and mouth..it's true that she was seven, but she was too small for her age..

Meanwhile the others were fighting for spot to stand before her

"Is that your daddy, little girl?" She heard one of them say

"Uh uh, he's my..uncle" she said before the girl that asked her got pushed away and was replaced by another

Hiromi didn't understand the strange behavior, was that how big girls usually act?

"Is he married?" She heard another one say

"What is that?" Hiromi asked

A collective 'awww' came from the group before one of them said "did you see him with a lady..like close...holding hands"

She was contemplating her answer as another one spoke "is he wearing a wedding band?"

"What's that?"

"A ring, is he wearing a ring?"

"I don't know, he wears gloves all the time" Hiromi answered

"Ok is he with a lady?" Back to the original question

"I don't think so, I saw him standing with Machi's mom but he wasn't holding her hand...she's a big girl, why would he hold her hand?"

Another collective 'aww'

Hiromi tilted her head, she didn't understand them at all

"Okay, okay...he's a shinobi right?"

"I don't know what's a 'shinobi'...but he's a good person" she said in defense, her eyebrows knit...she was getting fed up with their continuous questioning, and she didn't know what 'shinobi' was, but if it's a bad thing, then Kakashi definitely wasn't it

"Aw, sorry to upset you..I'm done here" the one who was washing for her said

"Oh, Minako, way to spoil our fun!" They said, irritated

"Thank you" Hiromi said with a smile to the lady that helped her, then she was put down and brought back to Kakashi

"She's so sweet sir, I think she took after you" one of the girls said

"Thanks" he chuckled, and placed a hand on his hair, as the girls eyes popped out with hearts..a sweat dropped from his head

"Can we leave now?" Hiromi whispered

"Yes, we'll be taking our leave now..goodbye Guy...um, goodbye and thanks" he said to Guy and the group before leaving, followed by too-many-to-count sets of eyes

..

They were walking back to the Hokage's

"They're so pretty" Hiromi said slowly in an amazed tone

"Hm?"

"The birdies" she said in the same manner "how can the birdie fly?"

"It has wings"

"Hm?"

"Well..let's see.." he said looking around before he grabbed her and jumped to the Hokage's roof

She giggled as he put her down "do you see that one?" He said pointing at a bird

She nodded

"Do you see it's wings...they look like.." he looked around for something before an idea came to him "like this" he made a bird with his hands

"Okay, I know" she said nodding

"When they move their wings downwards, they push the air down so they can go up" he simplified it as much as he could, moving his hands like wings "and no, Hiromi..you can't have wings" he added

"Oh" she looked down for a second before looking back at him "can we stay here unkle Kakashi?" She said "I want to watch them"

"I don't see why not" he said, he didn't think the Hokage would mind since Hiromi lived here, and as for him, as long an he had his book to read..he was okay

..

Kakashi kept reading his book, sitting on the edge of the building with his back on one of the pillars, he'd look at Hiromi every once in a while to check if everything was alright

She'd been watching with the same interest for hours, until it was night

She was hugging her knees with her right cheek resting on them..since it was night, no birds were around so she was looking at the Great Stone Faces

"Who are they?" She asked, pointing at the faces carved into the mountain

"Hm?" He looked from over his book and saw where she was pointing "the village's previous Hokage"

"What?!there are more of grandpa Hokage?!" She said with a shocked expression

He smiled "Hokage isn't Lord third's name..it's just what all the leaders of the village are called, and lord third is well..the third" he said with a shrug

"Ohh" she said slowly "who's he?" She pointed at the first face

"Lord first, the one who founded the village: Hashirama Senju" he said

"And that?" She pointed at the second one

"Lord second, his younger brother: Tobirama Senju"

"That's grandpa Hokage right?" She said pointing at the third

"Yes..that's lord third: Hiruzen Sarutobi"

"And that?" She pointed at the last one

"That's..Lord fourth: Minato sen...Namikaze"

She noticed the change in tone, but smiled "I'm sure you're face will be there someday unkle Kakashi"

He chuckled though it wasn't the least bit funny to him...this wasn't his dream..it was.. his left eye twitched

He took out his book since she seemed done with questions and returned to his spot, only..he didn't read for the sake of having fun or killing time..it was just a distraction

She noticed the mood-shift but didn't let it go like before.."I'm sorry" she said sadly

"Hm?" He looked at her from over the book, did she say sorry?

"I don't want you to be sad unkle Kakashi" she said looking down

"What makes you say that?"

"I don't know, but I known that you're always sad..I try to take it away but I can't...It hurts right?..in here?" She said, pointing at her chest

He looked at her in surprise, his book long forgotten

"I want to help you...like you helped me, it used to hurt here too" she pointed back at her chest "but now it doesn't...I want to take away your hurt too, like you took mine.. from here.." she held her injured hand "..and here" she pointed at her chest again

Kakashi was truly surprised at the words the girl just said..touched

..

It was a while before any of them spoke..she was looking down, and he was looking at her

"I...I'm scared..unkle Kakashi" she said, breaking the silence with her unsure tone

"What of?"

"O..of hurt, of..going back...and...and of losing you unkle Kakashi" she said, looking at him with watery eyes "I don't want the hurt to take you away" her voice was beginning to break

He was surprised more and more with every word she spoke..her words held such strong feelings behind them..such profound pain and fear..one would never believe her to be the same carefree girl whose smile never left her face

"I..I.." she broke down crying..not able to hold back her tears whom have been welling for a while now..it wasn't like the childish tantrum she had before...it was sincere..full of long bottled fear and pain

The way she was now...curled into a ball and crying...he remembered the times he needed someone to be there for him..a hand to be placed on his shoulder..a hand that he didn't allow, not after loosing the first hands he had..his friends, one by one

But he wasn't going to watch the same happen to her...if there wasn't anyone there for her..then he will be..

He walked to her side and kneeled to his knees then he held her to his chest where she cried her heart out..he was awkward in doing so, not having done this before "it's alright..it'll be alright..I'm not going anywhere, and neither are you"

He held the little girl he only met about a month ago...the girl he now cared about..the girl he so quickly bonded with..so unintentionally

Maybe it was destiny..maybe it was his family and friends watching over him...but he was definitely not the same person he was a month ago..he was so unexpectedly out of the thoughts that he'd live the rest of his life in the shadows of his past..

The past that accompanied him ever since that day..the day he lost her..the one thing he was entrusted with by his friend...his best friend's dying wish

But now he knew..that he had something else entrusted to him..and that was this girl's faith..and he was going to make sure that he never fails again

She cried until she ran out of energy and fell asleep..he thought that after what happened, they both needed some air and so he didn't take her back in...instead, he sat down, his back on the wall as she slept with her head resting on his chest

..

"Unkle Kakashi" she said sleepily

"Yes?"

"Can you make the birdie with your hands?" She asked

"Why don't you go back to sleep, it's past midnight" why was she awake anyway?

"Please"

He looked up and sighed "fine" then made the bird..she tried to do the same with her hands..but then, the removed one of his hands and placed hers instead..making a funny-looking half-grown figure that was supposed to be a bird

Kakashi chuckled and she giggled..then took off her ribbon and tied it around the 'bird's' 'neck' -their thumbs-

She looked at it for a while before speaking "I think that's me"

"How so?"

"I flew away from the hurt.." she pointed at their hands "..because of you" she pointed at the ribbon

He smiled..that girl..

"Why the ribbon...it was quite strange that you'd cry over something like that..why are you keeping it in the first place?"

"It..it helps" she said lowly "it helps me...sometimes...sometimes I have trouble remembering.." she looked down "..that I got out..when I was there..I always dreamt about getting out...so I fear that it's just a dream..

But when I look at the ribbon..it reminds me of you...of that night and the pain from my hand..I don't feel pain in dreams..not like that..so it must be real"

"I..I never knew" he felt terrible for the way he was irritated with her about the ribbon today..he never knew she held such a meaning within it..and was yet again, reminded of the hellish past the girl had lived

A seven year old girl shouldn't have lived the hell she'd lived through...and a boy shouldn't have had his friend killed by his own hands and his family to be taken away one after another..

"I know" she said "I won't let you be sad anymore unkle Kakashi" she added after some time..then fell asleep

He looked at himself...a little girl sleeping on him...the person he was only a month ago would never have believed him ending up like this..but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing

..

A smile spread on the Hokage's face as he saw them..the great feeling of success wishing over him..he finally made up for keeping Kakashi in the Anbu for all these years..with no regard to what it'd done to him..the darkness that it grew in his heart

But the heartwarming scene in front of him was enough to make him believe that he'd at least righted his wrongs..that he didn't betray Minato's trust...or at least made up for it

They were sleeping so goofily...it was funny

It was a great way to start his morning

..

Kakashi was sleeping with his back partly on the wall and partly on the ground..his head in an awkward position..as Hiromi slept on his chest

He opined his eyes to find her there..his eyebrows furrowed in confusion before the night's events came back to him

He heard a sound and looked at Hiromi to find her opining and closing her mouth sleepily..he smiled..then she sat up, yawned and stretched her limbs before noticing him

She gave him a confused look..and he couldn't help but chuckle..she looked so funny with her messy hair and pillow face..well, in this case it was Kakashi's-vest face

"Unkle Kakashi?"

"Yes?"

"You're still here?"

"Yes"

"But why?"

"Well..you fell asleep atop me and I joined you soon after" he said

"Oh" she looked down for a while before jumping while exclaiming "this it the best morning ever!" As she hugged him

He jumped from surprise "whoa!" She went from super-sleepy to super-active in no time!

She suddenly let go and gave him her back as she went to the other end of the roof and started coughing

He got up after her, a worried expression covering his face...maybe he shouldn't have kept her outside for the night..the girl spent most of her life locked inside..maybe she didn't have the same resistance as normal kids did

"Hiromi?" He asked worriedly

When the coughing stopped, she quickly wiped her hand on her dark pants and turned to face him

"'M okay" she said with a lopsided smile

"It that blood?!" He said, looking at the wet spots on the knees of her pants

"Please don't wo-" she broke into another coughing fit

"Hiromi!" He held out his hand worriedly but she turned around and kept coughing

When she stopped..she was out of breath, her hands were on her knees as she breathed hard

"Hiromi..are you ok?" It was obvious that she wasn't but he didn't know what else to ask

"I'm okay..I'm okay..please don't worry" she said with her best attempt at a smile

"Is that blood?" He asked again

She covered her knees "I'm ok"

"Stop saying that Hiromi..c'mon, we're going to the hospital" he said kneeling and giving her his back, she didn't look scared or even worried about her condition..but when he mentioned the hospital, her expression immediately changed to that of horror

"N..no I'm okay unkle Kakashi..please..I don't want to..t..this is normal...it happens every morning...even when I was little"

He thought about her reaction before speaking...she might be afraid because she thinks it'd be like back with.."don't worry Hiromi, this is not like Orochimaru...we'll just check to see what's wrong with you..it's going to be ok" as for having this coughing every morning..he couldn't be sure since she was already awake when he came in the morning

She flinched at the mention of that name "but.." her eyes were begging him..but he couldn't leave her unchecked after seeing her condition..

Seeing that he was fixated on his decision, she nodded reluctantly and climbed his back

..

The way to the hospital was quiet..missing the giggles and gapes of bewilderment of Hiromi..she was silent, her cheek resting on Kakashi's back until they reached their destination

He put her down and she held his hand tightly as they walked in

Her grip tightened more the closer they got..

..

The doctor checked her and was now speaking to Kakashi while she waited in the corridor with a nurse

"Her body has sustained severe injuries internally...it seems that something has been causing her harm..from the inside, for a very long time...perhaps all her life, we sent word to the Yamanaka clan..we're expecting them to send a member in order to use Sensory Perception to sense the source of harm for Hiromi

We need to measure its amount accurately so we can counter it" the doctor stopped talking as they heard a knock on the door

"Come in"

"Hakaru Yamanaka" the person said entering

"Yes come in please..Aika, bring the girl"

Hiromi entered the room, walking slowly on shaky feet, holding the nurse's hand

The nurse placed her on a chair where she looked even smaller

Hakaru closed his eyes and performed the jutsu

Only the moment he sensed it..he screamed in pain and fell to the ground unconscious..

Hiromi jumped and buried her face into her knees as they carried the man and sat him on another chair..

She was breathing in gasps and trembling...Kakashi noticed and went to her side and placed a hand on her shoulder

She jumped and looked up but calmed a little when she saw it was Kakashi "I..I didn't d..do anything..I swear..unkle Ka..kashi" she said pleadingly with watery eyes

"I know, don't worry..he's okay" he reassured her with a smile

They waited for awhile until the man woke up..the minute he did..he immediately backed away and held out his Kunai

Hiromi buried her face back in her knees as she covered her ears with her hands

"She's..she's a monster!" The man said

"What do you mean?" The doctor asked "what did you find?"

"She has an enormous chakra...I..I remember the Nine tails' attack on the village..this is nothing like that...it's..it's much..much worse" he said keeping his defensive stance "you have to get this...thing out of the village immediately" he added then looked at Hiromi then at the door "I..I have to go"

He left with Kakashi behind him..once they were out of the room, Kakashi held his arm firmly "not a word of what happened gets out...understood?" He threatened, looking through his eyes with the Sharingan

The man nodded quickly then left running

Kakashi returned to the room to find Hiromi crying silently, curled into herself the same way he left her

He couldn't calm her for the moment since he had to do that to the nurse and doctor whom were also in the same positions he left them in..looking unsure of what to do

..

Kakashi explained to them that the Hokage allowed Hiromi in the village and since they knew the Hokage wouldn't risk the village's safety..they were slightly reassured

The doctor advised that Kakashi would talk to the Sealing Core about a way to deal with Hiromi's chakra..and what it was doing to her..let alone the risk it placed on others around her

And now he was left to deal with the traumatized kid..she was still the same, crying silently as only gasps and sniffles could be heard..as her shoulders shook with each gasp

"Hiromi..hey" he said gently, kneeling to her level and slowly placing a hand on her shoulder "it's over..he's gone..he won't come back..ever"

"U..unk..le K..ka..ka..sh..shi" she could barely manage those words between gasps as she wrapped her hands around his neck, where she buried her face and continued crying..soaking the collar of his vest

He carried her in the position she was in and nodded to the occupants of the room before leaving the hospital

..

She was slowly reduced to only gasps and sniffles..as Kakashi walked around the village..waiting for her to calm down

"Are you okay now?"

She nodded into his neck..which kind of tickled

"I have a surprise for you"

She raised her head and looked at him

"You want to come down?"

She rubbed her eye and nodded

Kakashi walked towards a shop "chocolate, caramel and milk" he said to the man

"Right away!" The man said and worked on the order

Hiromi was curious but couldn't see that high up so she reluctantly waited..

"Here you go, sir..enjoy!" The man said as he handed Kakashi the cone and got his money

"Here" Kakashi gave her the cone

She looked at it suspiciously..not knowing what to do "use the spoon" Kakashi instructed

She took out the spoon that was sticking out of the caramel scoop and looked at Kakashi for more instructions

It was too obvious..he looked at the spoon then back at her in an 'eat it' gesture

She stuck the spoon in her mouth..it took a moment before her eyes widened and her eyebrows shot up "mmm" she made a sound with a happy expression

Kakashi smiled, the smile reaching his eyes..she was so easily pleased

"It turned into milk!" She said in astonishment

"Try licking it" he suggested

She did so and her expression became even happier, Kakashi mentally patted himself on the back..he was getting the hang of dealing with her

Events from earlier never left his mind..he still had to do something about her..but for now she enjoyed her cone and he enjoyed the brief peace of mind

She got ice-cream all over her clothes, and they were already stained with blood

"Okay..we should go back, you need to change" Kakashi stated

She nodded with a goofy smile on her cream-smeared face

..

They were there in no time since the ice-cream shop wasn't that far from the Hokage's, they got in and Kakashi escorted her to her room then waited in the hallway for her to change

..

She took a while until.."done" she announced

He walked in to find her gathering her dirty laundry..she had a scarf over her shoulders which was kind of odd since it was warm

"I'm out of clean clothes...I have to wash those" she said leaving the room

Kakashi looked at her in suspicion..she wasn't acting like herself..maybe it was because of what happened in the hospital? So he decided to give it time

He sat on a chair and opened his beloved book

..

Since she couldn't go outside without either the Hokage or Kakashi..she came to Kakashi "unkle Kakashi...I need to go upstairs to hang the laundry"

He nodded and accompanied her..the basket was clearly heavy for her "give me that" he said, putting the book away and taking the basket from her

She nodded and fixed the scarf then followed him

..

They got to the roof and she started on the laundry

As usual, he took his book and sat on the edge..it was so windy, it was hard to read with the pages keep turning in the wind "are you sure you want to do them now? It's windy, they might get blown away"

"I need them to dry..The only clean ones I have are those and...I..don't like them" she said, fixing the scarf again

"You cold? Want my vest?...Here" he started taking it off

"N..no I'm not, it's kinda warm here" she said nervously "thanks though" she added

She was definitely not like herself..she was kind of..formal and..just off

He shrugged and leaned against the wall

..

The wind was so high, and Hiromi had a hard time but it was especially hard since she was so careful to keep the scarf on

He noticed that she wore a sleeveless shirt underneath...was she shy because she didn't want him to see her in it? Was that why she kept the scarf on?

She grabbed the bed cover next...it was too big for her to hang so he walked towards her to lend a hand

But before he was there..a strong gust of wind blew the cover, along with her scarf away

He jumped and grabbed them easily..when he was on the ground again, Hiromi was hugging herself, trying to cover her skin

He was about to turn away to avoid embarrassing her before something caught his eye..

Her upper body was covered with scars!

His eyebrows furrowed and he tilted his head 'what the hell?!'

She bowed her head and sat on the ground "'m...sorry" she said quietly

'Sorry?!' Kakashi wasn't one to be easily angered...in fact, he was so difficult to piss off..but seeing this, made him furious

He clutched the fabric in his hands so tightly...he couldn't believe what'd been done to that little girl

He wouldn't accept that to happen to anyone, let alone to a little girl..and not any girl..the one he came to care about

And what was more infuriating was that she thought that it was somehow her fault

The bed cover and the scarf were on the ground as he walked towards her "let me see that" he said kind of roughly

She flinched and lowered her hands submissively

It wasn't just her shoulders, it was her back and arms..they were all covered with scars...some from sticks some from sharp objects..one of them looked like something dug into her skin..and that was just what he could see from her exposed skin, whatever was under her clothes had to be worse

He clenched his fists tight enough to draw blood, had he not been wearing gloves..he looked at her face to see that she was struggling to keep tears in..she was biting her lower lip in an attempt to keep from crying

"'M..I'm sorry" she said, angering him more

"Stop..apologizing!" He said roughly

She flinched and shut her eyes, lowering her head..as if waiting for a strike

Awful wasn't it...he felt more than that, the girl was that badly hurt and he had to go and make it worse..just great

He pinched the bridge of his nose, attempting to calm himself down..."Hiromi, I'm...sorry" he said crouching so he was at her level, not making physical contact to avoid spooking her

She looked up with tear streaked face, increasing his guilt ten fold

"What happened..this" he gestured her scars "isn't your fault...it's nothing to be apologizing for...if anything..I should be apologizing for being so harsh and I'm sorry..." he said sincerely "...I'm just...angry that I wasn't there to prevent it" he added after a while then looked down

He felt a small hand on his cheek, his eyes widened in surprise then he looked up to see that it was hers..she was smiling

His heart..he didn't know what it was exactly but it was bit painful yet warm...a smile made its way across his face as well

"Do you...want to talk about it?" He said after a while, sitting on the ground

She shook her head...then spoke after a while "it was...when I escaped my...cage...everyone in the village was so...so angry with me, I didn't know why...I don't remember seeing them before that time...and they hurt me...then...then I don't remember what happened...when I woke up, lord Ororchimaru was there and he took me" she said then got up to get her scarf

She was putting it on when he spoke "You can wear it if it makes you comfortable...but you don't have to be ashamed...whoever did this to you...they are the ones who should be"

She held the fabric in her hands, looking at it..he walked closer and placed a hand on her shoulder "and like I said...no one will ever hurt you again" he said with a reassuring smile

She hugged him around the waist as the scarf fell to the ground

He ruffled her hair...he felt more obligation to keeping his promise with every passing minute with her

...

That day was quite a lot for little Hiromi, so he decided to postpone their visit to the Sealing Core to the next day

He'd stopped there after leaving the Hokage's and informed them about Hiromi's situation, after having already talked to the Hokage about it

They told him to bring her the next day to see what they could do..

..

In the morning, he got up and dressed before going to the Hokage's..

"Unkle Kakashi!" He was greeted with the same enthusiasm as ever and a hug

He smiled, ruffling her hair, same as always "hey there" he chuckled

She was wearing the same clothes as last night, no scarf on

"Did you have your breakfast yet?" He asked when she let go

"Uh-uh" she shook her head

"Great, we're going out" he said

"Really?! Where?" She said in excitement

"Well, first..to the Sealing Core to see what to do about your..condition.." she immediately frowned so he quickly added "..but after that, we're going for breakfast..and I'm sure you're gonna love the place"

She wasn't as sad, but still sad nonetheless "ok" she said and went to put on her shoes

He felt bad to have dulled her enthusiasm but he still had to take her there, for her own good

She came back with her shoes on and held his hand before they left the building

He could feel how nervous she was and all he could do was hold her hand tightly and give her a reassuring smile

..

They entered the building, her anxiety building up every step of the way

"Good morning!" She was greeted by a friendly smile from a female member of the Sealing Core that eased her anxiety a bit "you're Hiromi right?" The woman said kneeling to match Hiromi's level

She nodded, clutching Kakashi's pant leg after letting go of his hand

"I'm Kaori, nice to meet you!" The woman said, offering her hand for a handshake

Hiromi didn't know what to do so she looked at Kakashi for guidance "shake it" he whispered

She hesitantly shook Kaori's hand receiving an even bigger smile...Hiromi decided that she liked Kaori so she smiled in return

"Will you come with me? I'd like to show you around!"

Hiromi hesitated and looked at Kakashi who shrugged...she thought about it for a while before nodding

"Great!" Kaori exclaimed, and offered her hand which Hiromi took

"This is where I work" Kaori said "I have a lot of friends here but their busy at the moment, so you're stuck with me...I hope that you don't mind cuz I'm kinda talkative"

Hiromi giggled, this was the first person she'd ever warmed up to other than Kakashi and the Hokage

"I have some fun stuff you can play with, you just wait!"

Kaori had noticed the scars covering Hiromi the moment she saw her..but she was considerate enough to know that was an unpleasant subject to bring up by any means so she acted indifferent..but she felt real sorry for her

"So, who's the hot stuff?" She asked casually

"Hm?"

"The man who brought you..who is he? You don't look alike so I gather that he's not your daddy" Kaori wanted to know if Kakashi was the cause of little Hiromi's scars

"Oh, he's unkle Kakashi" Hiromi said with a smile, bringing up Kakashi always made her smile

Kaori was reassured..having a smile planted on Hiromi's face by the mention of Kakashi was proof enough for her

She was deliberately stalling on the way to her working place to give herself and Hiromi more time to warm up so the kid won't get frightened upon starting the examination..as well as giving Kakashi time to talk to the sensory type members of the Core whom got a sense of Hiromi's condition by being in the same room

"Sooo, what are your...hobbies?!"

"Drawing! I like drawing a lot...I have a painting of unkle Kakashi back home, he said that it was..um.." Hiromi was struggling to find the world "gorgeous!" She said "I looked it up and it means 'very pretty'!"

"Oh really?! I want to see it now!" She falsely whined

"I'll bring it the next time" Hiromi said soothingly

"Thank you!" Kaori said, giving Hiromi a little sideway hug as they both giggled

"Ok, what does 'unkle Kakashi' like?" Kaori asked, since his mention eased Hiromi

"Icha Icha!" She immediately answered "he reads that book aaaaall the time..like always!" She said irritably, yet fondly

"He does, doesn't he" Kaori said chuckling then after a while of silence she said "well guess what? We're here!" She said spreading her hands, introducing the room

(A/N)

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	4. An enemy from within

"Whoa!" Hiromi said slowly in amazement

The place was full of different stuff, it was sort of a lab and a library mixed together...scrolls were everywhere!

"You like it?!" Kaori said

"Yes!"

"Well you go ahead and play!..just stay away from the scrolls, some of them are dangerous"

Hiromi started exploring the place, examining different objects thoroughly, full of curiosity

She asked about a lot of things and Kaori was happily there to answer

Kaori looked around Kakashi's age, she had a dark purple hair, eyes with the same color and was shorter than him

Hiromi wanted to give her a name like she did Kakashi and the Hokage "auntie!" Hiromi beamed

"Hm?"

"I'm calling you auntie Kaori!"

Kaori smiled a clearly fake smile, a drop appearing on her head "Honey...I love it...but...do I really look that old" she laughed nervously

Hiromi nodded, thinking that was a positive thing...she didn't like girls like the ones from back at the restaurant who were clearly younger than Kaori..but she liked Kaori and since she was at about Kakashi's age, she thought it was old since she didn't know how old Kakashi was

..

After spending some time together, Kaori decided that is was time to go back so they can thoroughly examine Hiromi and see what they can do about her

They entered the room where Kakashi and other members of the Sealing Core were "sup gang" said Kaori

"Hi" she got from some of her workmates

Kakashi raised his head and noticed that Hiromi didn't rush to his side as usual..she calmly walked towards him where she stood, waiting for what happened next..

"You ready hun?" Kaori asked and Hiromi nodded slowly at first then firmly "that's my girl!" Kaori encouraged

She spoke to her workmates before escorting Hiromi and Kakashi to where they'd do the ritual

Kaori sat Hiromi in the middle of a circle of Sensory ninja and some specialized in sealing..she freaked out and couldn't keep her calm, looking around frantically

She was met by Kaori and Kakashi who despite being worried themselves, forced a smile to reassure her

She swallowed with her suddenly dry throat before each of the surrounding ninja performed a Jutsu..

..

It'd been about a minute, when suddenly,all the shinobi dropped on the floor simultaneously except for those who weren't performing a Jutsu

Kaori and Hiromi gasped, hands on their mouths..Hiromi's expression was that of pure shock and horror "I...I didn't" her eyes got watery as she spoke with a shaky tone "do anything"

Kakashi could still sense the shinobis' chakra so he knew that they were alright..he was moving towards Hiromi when he saw that Kaori was there already

"Hey hon...they're ok..you didn't do anything...they're just sleeping...it's ok" she said, managing a lopsided smile for Hiromi's sake

Hiromi nodded but was clearly feeling the same..her flooded eyes dropped a couple of tears but that was it

..

After waking up, some of the shinobi panicked like the one from the Yamanaka before...but others were much more understanding, and were willing to continue their work

Hiromi was drinking a glass of water with Kaori beside her as the others were discussing their next move in the adjacent room

They've arrived at the decision that since no seal they knew of could seal Hiromi's chakra, at least not while keeping her alive, so they decided that the best course of action was to extract chakra from her regularly..

Of course it would renew itself but when it does, another extraction session was to take place..that was the only way to ensure her survival and the safety of the village..otherwise, her infinitely growing chakra would eventually kill her, destroying the village as well

Kakashi didn't agree since the extradition session was no doubt excruciating...not after he'd promised her to not allow her to get hurt again..the only problem was that the choice was between this and letting her die

He looked at his hands, the blood of his friend that had once covered it was there again..only it was his own imagination and sorrow filled memories

He closed his hand into a tight fist and was about to punch the wall into rubble...but he barely managed to keep collected

Closing his eyes, he made the decision...anything was better than letting her die

..

Kaori waved for Hiromi and Hiromi waved back with her popsicle-filled hand as the other one was holding Kakashi's

She licked the parting gift Kaori had given her and looked ahead as they walked around the village

..

Finally stopping at their destination, Kakashi and Hiromi took their seats at Ichiraku ramen

"Well hello there little lady!" Ayame said with a friendly smile "hello sir!" She added with a slight blush

"Hi" Hiromi greeted shyly..she was a bit more sociable after having the positive impression about people from Kaori..she'd thought that all girls were like the ones from back at Sweet dumplings

..

after ordering, they sat and waited for their food to be served

Hiromi had turned her seat around so she could look at the people in the village as they waited

She saw a boy about her age, holding his father's hand while laughing about something...she looked at Kakashi who didn't notice..he was deep in thought

She noticed how odd it was that he was just sitting...not reading his beloved book wasn't like him at all

She looked down as she moved her feet, following their motion with her eyes

A minute later, their order arrived

"Sorry for taking so long, it's just that we were just beginning to prepare the ingredients when you arrived...it's still early morning" Ayame said with a nervous laugh

"Thanks" Kakashi said as he was pulled out of his thoughts

He hadn't ordered anything for himself, not having the appetite to eat with everything going on in his mind

Hiromi looked at the bowl of ramen with wide, hungry eyes..no wonder..it did look delicious

He pointed at the chopsticks "use those"

She picked a pair and looked at them, turning them around...then she tried stabbing a floating piece of fish with it, and ended up breaking the piece in half and having nothing on the chopsticks

Kakashi chuckled tiredly and took a pair himself "here" he got her attention

He separated the pair and she did the same, then held it correctly before picking one of the halves of that piece of fish "like this"

"Okay" she tried to do the same but failed since she wasn't holding the sticks the right way..

Kakashi scooted a bit closer and held her hand to show her how to hold it since she couldn't learn just by seeing him do it

"This one..like this, aand..like this" he positioned them correctly, holding her hand with his, then slowly let go as she tightened her grip on them

She held them above the bowl and to the side, thinking of what to eat first...doing so, she poked Kakashi's eye who was still sitting close

It wasn't painful since he'd already closed his eye before the chopsticks poked it...it was funny though..

She froze in the same position, looking at him with a playful 'oops' expression, while he stayed frozen with the chopsticks poking his closed eye

A moment passed before they both broke into laughter...of course the best laugh Kakashi came up with was a chuckle while Hiromi laughed her heart out

Ayame was also laughing, having watched the scene from the distance

..

After messily finishing her meal, Kakashi payed for it and they both headed back to the Hokage's where they followed their daily routine

..

It was Hiromi's bedtime, and Kakashi was at the door "good night" he said back to her before closing the door

The hallway was longer than ever, giving him time to think his decision over and over...as if having thought of it all day wasn't enough

He'd been dreading and delaying when he'd have to report for the Hokage about the visit to the Sealing Core

He just couldn't give a final decision..not when it came to the person he held himself responsible for her safety and wellbeing

But whatever he was to say to the Hokage was final, no backing from it..and that's what he was dreading

Knock knock.."come in Kakashi" the Hokage said

Kakashi kneeled "sir"

The Hokage nodded and Kakashi stood up "so, what have you to say?"

Kakashi swallowed and started telling the story

..

"So, what do you think we should do about her, sir?" Kakashi asked

The Hokage fixed his pipe in place "the decision is yours" the Hokage said

"P..pardon?" He was genuinely surprised..he was hoping that the Hokage would make the decision himself..

He expected that the Hokage would ask for his opinion in the matter, but never had he thought that the Hokage would leave it entirely up to him

"I know how you've changed..and how you feel for her, so I trust that whatever the decision you make may be, it would be wiser than mine" the Hokage said, surprising Kakashi even more "but know this..you don't have to fear for the village, this is my responsibility, and your decision will affect Hiromi and her alone, I'll ensure the safety of the village under any circumstances"

Kakashi was even more unsure of his decision after hearing what the Hokage said..he held the life of Hiromi in his hands and he wished to god that he didn't..

"I understand if you need time to think" the Hokage spared him the words

Kakashi nodded and left

...

Peep..peep..peep..

He turned of the alarm, he didn't even need it, having stayed awake all night..

He still wasn't sure of his decision, but he was also aware that the loger he put it off, the more dire Hiromi's condition got..

He reluctantly got up and washed his face before leaving for the Hokage's on heavy feet..he didn't need to change because he'd stayed in the same clothes overnight, shoes and all

He had barely noticeable bags under his eyes, all in all, he felt like shit and looked it too

Guy was having his breakfast at sweet dumplings, with Kurenai and Asuma before leaving for missions

Their orders hadn't been served yet, so they were chatting until it arrived

Guy stopped talking when he saw Kakashi passing by the shop, looking at the ground "hey Kakashi!" He called with his louder-than-thunder voice

Kakashi didn't look like he heard him at all..

Guy and the others shared an all-knowing look...they all recognized that scene that just played

He was just like after Rin, Obito and Minato..

He'd been stone-faced and nonchalant ever since he joined the Anbu..they knew that he wasn't okay inside..but took what they got gratefully..at least he wasn't all depressed

But now, they saw the starters that would lead to that same condition all over again..and they weren't happy with it at all

"Good mor-" Hiromi started "unkle Kakashi!, are you okay?" She said worriedly, running over to him

"I'm alright..I just had trouble sleeping" Kakashi said tiredly..he haven't had a good night sleep ever since their first visit to the hospital

"Sit down..and..and I'll.." she was thinking of what she could do to him "sing a lullaby to help you sleep!" She beamed

He chuckled tiredly and ruffled her hair "thank you, but we have...we have to go to the Sealing Core again" he said bitterly

He didn't get the reaction that he expected "ok, I'll get ready" she said normally

He furrowed his eyebrows, since when did she start liking that place?

"I'm ready" she said before holding his hand

"What's that?" He gestured the object under her arm

"That's my painting of you... Aunti Kaori wanted to see it" she said as they started walking through the hallway

"Oh, so you two are best friends now?" He said playfully

"Mmhm" she nodded

He smiled and they sat on their way to the hospital 'Aunti' he chuckled

...

"Hiii" Kaori greeted in her ever-so-enthused manner

"Hiii" Hiromi said in the same way as they both laughed..

She let go of Kakashi's hand to show Kaori the painting "I brought it!" She said with a wide smile

"You did!" Kaori said, having no idea what Hiromi was talking about

"Ta da!" Hiromi turned the painting so it was facing forwards

Kaori's eyes widened "w..wow!" She said, truly surprised

Hiromi blushed..Kaori kept looking between the painting and Kakashi "like really..wow" she said "this is amazing...how old are you again?"

"S..seven" Hiromi said shyly

"Damn, girl!" She said "I'm..sorry..I'm not allowed to swear right?" She said to Kakashi with a guilty smile

He shrugged..ne never really payed attention to the matter

"You're a horrible parent dude" she said jokingly then did a double take "s..sorry, I..I didn't mean it" she blushed 'damn me and my big mouth' that was her problem..she was a bit...too friendly

"It's ok" he shrugged, nonchalant..he never thought of himself as a parent anyway so he might as well be a horrible one

Kaori suddenly dulled and put the painting aside "so you...made your decision" it was more of a statement than a question

Kakashi looked down..

She nodded sadly and gave a sad smile to Hiromi "come with me hon" she said lowly

Hiromi took her hand, looking at her with innocence..not knowing the pain that awaitedand

They left the room..Kaori noticed that Hiromi never moved without having someone's hand in hers..it was kind of strange, but Kaori actually liked it..she thought it was cute

They entered a small room, Kaori opened a box and looked for a while before taking out a mini hospital gown..it was still bigger than Hiromi thought

"Put this on" she said, in the same sad tone

Hiromi's eyebrows furrowed but she took it

"You want me to help you?" Kaori asked

"I'm ok"

"Ok then, I'll be in the next room" Kaori said...she didn't like the idea of leaving Hiromi alone..but she wanted to speak to Kakashi

Hiromi nodded and Kaori left..

"Where's Hiromi?" Kakashi asked when she entered the room by herself

"She's..getting ready" Kaori said..she hesitated before speaking "shouldn't we..tell her?"

Kakashi looked down again..that was part of the ordeal he was having...wondering whether or not to tell her...she had a right to know, but he also didn't want to scare her

He just didn't know what to do, how do you tell a child that you were going to practically torture her?

Now he knew that what Orochimaru did wasn't just him seeking her powers..it was for her sake as well..

Kaori saw how miserable Kakashi was inside..it didn't take a genius to figure it out, and he wasn't as good at hiding his feelings as before

She wanted to comfort him but didn't know how..she didn't know him after all, so she just nodded

Hiromi entered the room, the gown too big for her small figure..the scene would've made them smile, had in not been a hospital gown she was wearing

Kaori took a deep breath and Kakashi closed his eyes for a moment..both getting ready for what was coming

Hiromi looked a little suspicious of what was happening..she did what she always did when she was scared, she held Kakashi's hand

He felt a tug of guilt but held her hand firmly before being escorted to another room

It was dimly lit and the floor was covered with different sigils and symbols "Hiromi honey..come here" Kaori called

Hiromi looked at Kakashi with a silent plea, as if she knew what awaited...his guilt increased ten fold but he didn't do anything to stop what was coming...he nodded

She swallowed and walked towards Kaori who walked her to the middle of the circle of sigils where a bed was

She picked her up and placed her on it..Hiromi's heartbeats were getting faster with every passing second and her tears were welling

Kaori's heart broke, but she had no choice..she patted her on the shoulder before retreating out of the circle

Hiromi looked at them pleadingly..especially at Kakashi, making him feel awful...her eyes were accusing him of betrayal, something he'd already accused himself of..so many times..too many

But he didn't waver

The Sealing shinobi -excluding Kaori who refused to join- surrounded the circle and weaved the required hand signes

Kakashi and Kaori could see how Hiromi's breathing was quickening..before it completely stopped..

For a moment, Kakashi felt panic..but it soon turned into hurt as a shriek tore through the room..it began..

..

He couldn't hold himself in place for more than thirty seconds..seeing her screaming with all her heart, her back bowed above the bed as chakra flowed out of her

He stepped forward but was stopped by Kaori's arm in front of him, he could see that her eyes were glowing with tears she was clearly struggling to keep from spilling

He was surprised at how quickly she came to care about Hiromi..but he couldn't blame her, Hiromi grew on him quicker than he'd ever imagined

..

It's been five minutes of non-stop defining screaming from Hiromi..and standing still, watching..was getting more impossible each second

..

He didn't know he'd be able to stand it for all that time but he did..it's been an hour, but according to Kaori, this was just the beginning...

She said that since it was her first time in a long time, it was going to take some time..

..

He was tempted to leave the room many times..but he just couldn't allow himself to leave her alone with all the pain she was put under

..

Finally, after three hours of relentless screaming until her throat was raw..she stopped, as the Sealing team was done

They all collapsed, exhausted..they'd sealed the extracted chakra in a scroll where it was unretrievable

Kakashi entered the circle where the glow of the sigils was fading..he reached Hiromi who was unconscious but breathing, face streaked with tears..her gown had multiple blood stains

He felt..no word would describe the amount of his guilt..he couldn't even remind himself that it was either that or death like he'd been doing before..

He felt a hand oh his shoulder, surprising him "she'll be alright..it's for the best..I guess"

Kaori was skeptical about Kakashi at first, but seeing his condition in the past three hours showed her that he was more than the indifferent, jerk she'd first thought him to be

And so, showing her sympathy was the least she could do..

He nodded

"She won't be stable for a while...you'd better take her to the hospital" she said, looking at Hiromi

He nodded, that was going to be his next move once he'd cleared his mind

Kaori had a bag which she handed to him "her clothes..and the painting" she gave him the painting as well "it's really pretty.." she said then added "..she is pretty..and she really cares about you" she looked at Hiromi and back at Kakashi with sad smile "and I see that you care about her too"

She wanted to change the dullness that was choking them "even though you wouldn't admit it..Mr.I'm cool" she said mockingly

He gave a small, barely noticeable smile

"You know, your not bad yourself" she bumped his shoulder, ended up bumping his arm, being shorter than him

She immediately blushed, remembering that it was a stranger she was talking to...she was too quick in warming up to people "I'm sorry" she laughed nervously, her hand on the back of her head "I got carried away"

"It's alright" he said..he was a bit better now, having talked to someone..especially one that is as goofy as her, she was successful in lighting the mood

He carefully picked Hiromi up with the bag in one hand and the painting in the other

At the main door of the building, Kaori stopped "she's going to be alright...the worst has passed" she said

"Thanks.." he said, leaving "..for everything" he added

She smiled..

..

He was questioned about what happened to cause little Hiromi's condition at the hospital, and he asked to speak to the doctor in charge, the same one who had Hiromi examined some time ago

He told him about what happened, and the doctor was now checking her..

"She's..stable for the time being, her body is strained from having that much chakra extracted at once" he said after finishing "no serious injuries..but it isn't clear when she will wake up exactly..although it's highly unlikely that she takes longer than a few days"

Kakashi nodded, and the painfully long wait began..

...

Three days without sleep did him no good..eventually, he couldn't even concentrate enough to read his beloved book

Add that to the fact that he'd already spent a day without sleep before the trip to the hospital..and you'd get an exhausted-looking sleep-deprived Kakashi

It wasn't that he couldn't sleep, he just didn't want to..

Nightmares about Rin's death had long since stopped, or were at least short and blurry, he rarely even remembered having them after waking up..

But when he fell asleep, they would come stronger than ever...more vivid

He thought maybe, it was because of the similarity between this situation, and the one back then..

Where he'd broken a promise he was so bent on keeping...one that concerned his loved ones..

He was left to think of what 'breaking his promise' ment in the current situation..

Was it leaving her to die, or keeping her alive with the price of torturing her?

Three days of dark thoughts, guilt and a lot of 'what ifs'..what if he made different decisions?..would Obito still be alive? Rin too?

What if he'd defied the orders to not participate in the fight against the Nine tails..would Minato still be alive?

He might have died, making those alternative decisions...but would that be so bad? Wasn't it better than living like this...where he kept breaking promises to people he loved?

"U..unk Kashi" Hiromi's tired, sleepy sound dragged him out of his thoughts

"Hiromi!"

"Unkle k..kashi, you're not ok" she said worriedly

She broke his heart...after exposing her to so much pain, the first thing she asked about was his wellbeing

He wasn't ok, and it wasn't just sleep..on his way to the hospital, back when Hiromi was unstable, he sustained some serious injuries caused by her unstable chakra

He had them taken care of, but refused to stay in bed..

His left arm had a big gash and so did his right leg, chest and stomach

"Don't worry, I'm fine..how are you feeling?"

"I did that, didn't I?" She asked in a low tone

"Hiromi, It's ok, don't worry about it..now tell me, are you hurt?"

She shook her head 'no' slowly, and flinched at the pain the gesture caused

Why was she lying? That was new "I deserve it" she said quietly, barely above a whisper

"What?!"

"I said I deserve it!" She shouted with her hoarse voice "for all I did and the people I hurt..and..and now you!...I deserve what's happening to me!" She said, tears running down her face "I...I...I am Akuma!" She added before breaking down completely

"Oh Hiromi" Kakashi said sorrowfully "don't..." he started, then spoke again "whatever you did was out of your control and no one can blame you for it, and neither can I...what happened earlier...I'm sorry, I broke my promise to you...I stood by while you were being hurt

But understand this..it wasn't some sort of punishment as you seem to think...your chakra, your powers are slowly killing you Hiromi.." he didn't see a choice but to tell her "and I...I can't allow that, the only way to prevent it is by taking fractions of your power so it won't grow enough to kill you"

He knew that he was being too straight forward, but he had to say it all "and the process hurts..a lot, as you saw yourself...but it's the only way to keep you alive"

She was looking at the blanket covering her, clutching it "why is it so important that I live?" She said in the same low tone "all I do is hurt people" she added "and now you...I am dangerous to everyone, I'm dangerous to you..and if I hurt you" she paused "more than I already have...I can't..I can't" she shook her head as tears dropped from her eyes

All of what happened was too much for a seven year old to take...hell, it was too much for anyone to take..that much he knew

With every word she spoke, she broke his heart more...she was the same as him..doubting her reason to live

And since he himself doesn't know the answer, he didn't have one to give her

So hi guys

Pretty sad chapter huh

Anyway, please vote and tell me what you think

Oh and by the way, you might notice that Kakashi is a bit out of character..well that is because this is after he quit the Anbu and before he met the Team Seven we know..during this time, he had lots of issues so this is before he becomes the Kakashi we know from Naruto, this is more of what we see in his backroad story from Shippuden


	5. Skyfall

A moment of silence..non of them had anything to say

Hiromi gave him her back and hugged her blanket..

He had no idea what to say, he couldn't treat her like a kid because she clearly wasn't a normal one..and so he didn't say anything

..

He didn't try to sleep, the last thing he wanted was another nightmare..other than the one he was living

Hiromi had been laying in the same way ever since their conversation about thirty minutes ago..and he was at the window, since he couldn't go out for some air, by orders of the doctor

He could feel Hiromi staring at him, a sad smile found its way to his lips...she was just too kind

He knew that she was in a world of pain, but giving her attention and concern to him even in her condition, was heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time

"Does it hurt a lot?" She said in a whisper, as if not wanting him to hear

To be honest, it did hurt..a lot, something about his injuries wasn't right, they weren't healing as fast as they should "Hiromi, stop beating yourself up over it...I told you, I'm fine and it's not your fault...I should have been more careful" he should've known that she was too dangerous to handle, it wasn't wise to be in direct contact with her right after the session, but he was in a hurry to get her to the hospital

She didn't add anything, just stayed the same way..taking peeks every once in a while to check on him..as if he was going to drop dead any second

...

It'd been another day at the hospital..no book for him to read...no enthused conversations for her to start...just the awkward, uncomfortable silence

The Hokage had visited him the night he and Hiromi entered the hospital, and Kakashi had asked him to not tell anyone that he was in the hospital..to say that he was on a mission

It wasn't a complete lie..he was on a mission, even if he long since stopped considering it to be one

And the reason he didn't want anyone to know was obvious..first he didn't like the attention, and the second and the more important reason was that he didn't need Guy's voice in his already aching head..constantly jabbering about 'youth' and giving him bizarre 'medicine' recipes

He could already imagine what he would say..

~imagination~

"Kakashi! Why is my eternal rival in a hospital!" Guy says in his thundering voice after storming into the room

Kakashi rolls his eyes and flinches at the pain in his head that got worse, thanks to Guy

"Well lucky for you, I have ran upon a medical herb that will restore you to your full youth in no time! It's called..." aaand Kakashi stops listening at this point

~reality~

Kakashi shook his head, and flinched at the throb of pain his move caused...he definitely needed to sleep, now he's getting some bizarre daydreams about Guy?!

..a day later..

His injuries were less painful..and Hiromi had two days left before she was released

Her injuries were minor, and had long since healed..it was his injuries that refused to heal..

And again..silence

...

One more day left, and Hiromi hasn't been eating anything ever since she first woke up..but it was ok since she had an IV

That was until it was removed in the morning..

She still refused to eat and kept saying that she had no appetite..no one could blame her, but that wasn't a reason to stop trying

Kakashi wasn't involved in any way, it was between her and the nurses...he didn't have the energy to argue, neither did he have the interest

...

Finally, the day of her release came..

Kakashi was released at the same day, the doctor insisted that he needed to be taken care of and that his injuries needed constant checking..and therefore more time at the hospital

But he refused, the only reason he agreed to stay as long as he did, was that he had to watch over Hiromi..but now that she was released, he had no reason to stay

Hiromi hasn't been talking a lot..all she did was look at him sorrowfully and it wasn't without a reason..

Other than holding herself responsible for his injuries..she was sad that he looked like that..he was a bit pale, had bags under his eyes and other things caused by lack of sleep, making him look awful

..

Arriving at the Hokage's..Kakashi and Hiromi entered the place, Hiromi headed to her room while Kakashi headed for the Hokage's office

He was swaying, barely able to walk...not sleeping for so long wasn't the least bit fun

He was lucky to be out of the hospital, the doctor was already suggesting to give him something to make him sleep..and if his sleeping problem continued any longer, they would definitely do something about it

Knock knock

"Yes" came the voice of the Hokage from Kakashi's left

He turned to find the Hokage beside him

"Sir" he said kneeling

"Kakashi!..what happened to you?!" The Hokage asked in a worried tone after having a good look at Kakashi

Kakashi smiled, standing up "it's..well.." 'where to start sir?' He collapsed on the floor

As luck would have it..Hiromi was standing a few meters back..she'd come to see the Hokage after dropping her bag in her room, having missed him from not seeing him for the past days

She paled, and her eyes widened..staring at Kakashi with pure horror

Before the Hokage could say anything to her, she exploded into black flaming chakra..

It was but for a second before she as well, fainted..the black, flaming aura of chakra disappeared

..

Seeing how Kakashi loved the hospital, his fate brought him back to it..

He was asleep, finally...the bandages on his chest and stomach were changed after taking care of his slowly-healing wounds that opened when he fell

..

Back at the Hokage's, Hiromi hadn't woken up yet..

The Hokage was sitting beside her, after having sent Kakashi to the hospital and making sure that he was in no danger

It'd been hours before Hiromi started waking up..

She slowly opened her eyes..looking at the ceiling

About five seconds later..her eyes flooded and she started crying "I..I..I killed him!"

The she got Hokage's attention "you're awake" he said, having expected a similar reaction

"I..k..ill..ed h..him!" she was crying hysterically at that point

"No..he's alright and at the hospital..you didn't kill anyone"

She cried for a few seconds before his words made sense to her "wha..at?"

"Apparently he needed sleep since he hadn't slept for a while, and he couldn't keep it up any longer"

She wiped her eyes and sniffed "ca..an I go see hi..im" she asked

"I doubt it would do any good, he's asleep..and he'll be like that for some time"

She didn't mind, even if he was asleep...she could just sit there and make sure he was okay...but she didn't want to argue with the Hokage...but mostly, she didn't trust herself enough to get close to him again

She nodded sadly

"Don't give me that face, he's going to be just fine...and about what happened, it wasn't your fault" something about his words was warm and reassuring..

She hesitated out of fear of hurting him, but her need for warmth exceeded her fear, and she threw herself around him into a tight hug

He loosely wrapped his arms around her small body, patting her back

He didn't need to say anything...for her, just his presence was reassuring enough..

..

He slowly placed her blanket over her then left the room

She cried some and sat in his arms until she fell asleep..'poor child'

..

The Hokage sat in his office, watching the village from above..so peaceful

He had to start sending Kakashi on missions again soon..he'd been turning down the requests that specifically asked for Kakashi..but he couldn't keep doing that for long..after all, Kakashi was one of the Leaf's most skilled ninja

Other than that, new academy students were soon to graduate, and Kakashi would be assigned to a team

Hiromi slowly opened her eyes..everything was blurry, she blinked a couple of times before it cleared

Staring at the ceiling, she was thinking..wondering, why did it end up like that?

She was happy, and out of her cage, out of Orochimaru's grasp, and with Kakashi..the person she came to love the most..respect and idolize, all with the duration of a little over a month

She was too quick to get attached to people..but she never considered it a bad thing..

Why did it all have to go like that?

It wasn't something she had control of, and that was what scared her the most...

She bit her lip and wiped her teary eyes then got up

She was going to get herself busy, anything better than sitting still, because all it did was make her think of matters that were out of her hands

She brushed her hair, tied it in a ponytail..the shorter hair strands stood out

She then made the bed before heading for the Hokage's room..

She stood in front of it, hand into a loose fist as she was about to knock the door

She stopped to think for a while..it was night time, and the Hokage had to have a lot of work since he hadn't gone to sleep yet

She didn't want to be a bother and interfere with his work..other than that, she just couldn't allow herself to get close to people..

She wouldn't be able to take it if she hurt anyone again..

She lowered her hand and turned around "come in Hiromi" she jumped upon hearing his voice

'How did he know I was here?!' She opened the door and got in, but didn't go any further

He got up and walked towards her..

She took a step back but he stopped her by placing a scarf over her shoulders "put this on, it's cold outside" he said

"We're going out?"

"Yes, you haven't had anything yet am I correct?"

She nodded and he did the same "then we're going out" he said, walking ahead of her

She followed him and found him waiting at the door out of the building..she hesitated but took his hand..

"Where are we going grandpa Hokage?" She asked

"You will see" he said with a smile and a small chuckle

..

They stopped at some shop..it was one of the few that weren't closed..

The Hokage got her a sandwich and a bowl of soup, he didn't get anything for himself

..

"Eat you soup first" the Hokage said after the order arrived..

She nodded and did as he said

..

She picked up her sandwich after finishing the bowl "take it with you" he said getting up

They left after paying for the food..she was holding her sandwich with one hand and the Hokage's hand with the other

She was hungry..she hadn't had any food in some time now, so she didn't wait and started on her sandwich while walking

..

They walked for sometime, before stopping at a lake

"Did you like it?" The Hokage asked

She looked a him with a mouthful, then at the sandwich then back at him and nodded

He chuckled at her goofy look "I'm glad"

..

They sat for some time..

The sky was clear and the stars were decorating the sky with their elegant gleam..the beautiful picture was reflected on the calm water of the lake

They looked at the beauty from where they were sitting under an old, large tree

"It's beautiful isn't it?" He asked

"Hm?"

"That flower" he pointed at a closed flower nearby

She shrugged..nothing was special about it

He nodded

She furrowed her eyebrows..she didn't understand what was up with today's sudden trip

..

She wasn't sleepy at all, but with the peaceful scene of the lake and the reassuring presence of the Hokage..she couldn't help but fall asleep after some time

..

She opened her eyes, blinking slowly...but the blur didn't clear..she noticed that she had something on her face, lifting it..she saw that it was the Hokage's hat

"You're awake" came the Hokage's voice..something was different about him, he wasn't..she looked underneath her to find the Hokage's white coat under her

"G..good morning" she said, rubbing her eyes

"Good morning" he said with his warm smile "did you sleep well?"

"Mm-hm" she nodded

"Here, have this" he said, offering a sandwich

"Thanks" she said with a smile..she had quite the appetite for some reason

He sat in his previous spot while she ate the sandwich..looking at the sparkling water of the lake that reflected the morning sun's rays

"Isn't it beautiful?" He said, looking at a beautiful flower nearby

"Wow" she said slowly with food in her mouth..she noticed and swallowed before adding "it's really pretty"

He smiled "do you know that it's the same flower from last night?"

She furrowed her eyebrows..then remembered "oh, really?"

"Yes, it wasn't pretty the night before, was it?"

She shrugged "there was nothing special about it...it looked like an onion" she said with a chuckle

"But when it bloomed, you saw how beautiful it was inside"

She nodded

He fixed his position, his back to the tree "Hiromi"

"Yes, grandpa Hokage"

"Why do you think I brought you here?"

"I..don't know"

"Well, for one, to get some fresh air...you do feel better now don't you?"

She did feel better, so she nodded

"But other than that.." he started, but then decided to say something else...he thought for a while before saying "do you know the story of the Hidden Lotus?" Time to come up with a story

"No" she shook her head, and turned around so she was facing him

He took some time...cleared his throat then started..

"There once lived a special flower..it held beauty, like no other flower..and for that beauty to be seen, it needed more nourishment than any other flower in the swamp..and when it consumed all the food there was..the surrounding flowers withered...the beautiful flower feared blooming, for that it feared to hurt the other flowers any further

Allowing that fear to consume it...the flower lived it's life confined, away from the world..and no one was able to see it's beauty..all they knew about it was that it was a dangerous flower..one that harmed others around it..all they could picture it to be was ugly and dark...so unlike the beautiful, caring nature it held within

Only one person was able to see the flower for what it was..that person kept nourishing the flower, always there to keep an eye on it..make sure that it survived, not caring for what everyone thought of it...of what the flower thought of itself..for him, this flower was the opposite of anything bad, it was purity itself

The time passed, and that person's presence helped the flower overcome it's fear..helped find a way to bloom without affecting the other flowers..he showed it how there was always a way, even in the darkest alleys

And with his help...the flower stood strong and bloomed...showing its beauty to all the eyes..proving itself worth of his faith

That flower became known, it became a story told for generations...a symbol of persistence and strength" he was impressed with his ability to improvise

Hiromi was looking at the flower nearby

The Hokage smiled..he got to do all that he wanted...he got her to eat, get some fresh air and a piece of advice..he called that a win, and mentally patted himself on the back "it's time to go"

...

Arriving at the Hokage's, they stopped at Hiromi's room where she got in and the Hokage continued to his office "th..thank you grandpa Hokage" she said shyly

He smiled, nodded and continued...that little trip was something she needed, it was nice after all that happened

..

Soon...she started to notice how the room was bigger than ever..she really missed Kakashi

The more time passed..the more worries rose

She busied herself cleaning the room..

...

After she was done, she had a shower then sat on the bed..

She tied the ribbon back around her wrist after she took it off to shower and looked at it for a while..

She thought about Kakashi...if he was okay like the Hokage said, shouldn't he be here by now? But the Hokage wouldn't lie, would he?

She shook that thought off..the Hokage wouldn't lie, and Kakashi was okay

...

The day passed slowly..she just wanted it to be over, it was uneventful and lonely..

She held the ribbon tightly "good night unkle Kakashi" she said before going to sleep

...

The sun's rays seeped through the glass over to her eyes..she moved a little before waking up

She sat up and looked at the clock "s..seven" she said sleepily, rubbing her eyes

She was so obsessed with Kakashi's condition...petrified that she might have done him unrepairable damage, endangering his life

Not having the patience to wait until she washed her face or wore her shoes..she walked to the Hokage's room..he must've received some news about Kakashi

Holding her right hand into a loose fist, she was about to knock on the door before hearing another voice inside

"..condition is very dire...I really doubt that the doctors can do much, they themselves said as much"

Frozen for a couple of seconds..all color drained from her features, before she broke into a run in the direction of her room, barely in time to miss the person coming out of the Hokage's office, which was perfect since he would've stopped her

She barged into the room and stood in her place for a while..hands through her hair, it was as if the room was spinning..as if minutes were seconds..everything was so fast

All she could think about was that every single thing she feared was confirmed with that short statement..

She stood for a couple more seconds before jumping out of the open window..

She landed swiftly on the ground..but didn't have the time to even notice

Once she touched down..she sprinted through the street

She had a pretty good idea where the hospital should be since she'd already been there twice

People's heads barely had time to turn to see her..her heart was racing and her feet were scraped

..

She finally made it to the hospital...of course she didn't take the shortest route, she just followed the one they did at their first visit..

She was panting and didn't know what to do..she heard a call for some doctor to an operation room

The hospital was really busy and she was too small to be noticed in the crowd, slipping in between people..she was able to move unnoticed..or whoever did notice, couldn't catch her..whichever

She followed the signs and looked for the operation room she heard in the speakers..

The man said that Kakashi wasn't okay right? So that meant he was in an operation room..didn't it?

She panicked..stood still, hands in her hair again...is she too late? is he dead? What if he was? No he wasn't...he couldn't be

She turned to her left to find the room..she opened the outer door and got in..there were sinks and some clothes and other things she didn't recognize

No one was allowed inside an operation room..she knew that much

At any rate..she did even need to get in.."..of death 7:23" an ominous voice came from inside

She couldn't comprehend whether it was too fast that it almost seemed nonexistent or it was not there all together..she couldn't even feel her heart

Ever since that morning started...everything was too fast

With no idea about anything..she darted into the hallway..her tears flying from her eyes..she didn't know why what or how..just hearing the words made her think the worst

There was an open window in the hallway..an she was in the ground level, so she went through the window and to the village..

..

The scenery of the village was changed to that of the woods..but of that she wasn't aware..

Not until her face hit the soft ground..she didn't move, just stayed on the ground where she sobbed uncontrollably..

What had she done?! When life finally had mercy on her..when she finally had someone...someone to love and be loved by..

Her father, the person that was supposed to care for her..was the person who hurt her the most..

And when she thought that she was finally out..Orochimaru's prison became her next 'home'

But now..she was sure that it was over...she was truly out, and she had Kakashi! That for her was what life was

She didn't know what life was until that day in the woods..and now, here she was, back in the woods..at the end of her life..what cruel irony

..

No tears left...no energy, she got up and looked around blankly

Walking, swaying..she sat at the edge of the lake..staring ahead with her bloodshot eyes..her tear streaked face had some small cuts from the fall..her feet were scraped..and her heart was shattered

..

It was night time..and she hadn't moved an inch..thoughts swirling around her head..breaking her mind into pieces for that she had no control over destiny..

She came to a question...why did she blame life...destiny..all that crap

Why hadn't it occurred to her before that she was the curse..

She was the one who annihilated her people, so were they wrong to imprison her in the first place?

She destroyed everything she touched..and it never hit her as hard as it did now..because she'd never cared about anyone as much as she did now..

..

Something caught her eye..a bright mop of hair in the distance..

She zoned out again..starting at the lake..but snapped out of it when "are you okay?" said a childish voice softly

She didn't respond

"You wouldn't be here if you were" he said sadly to himself

No, she wouldn't, she would..a tear ran down her cheek

"Is it the eyes too?" He asked somberly after sometime...joining her in looking at the lake

She turned to look at him, eyes questioning

"The way everyone looks at you..is it..strange?" He asked

Surprisingly..she could understand what he meant..it was the people back at her village..the ones with the strange looks..the accusing..full-of-hatred eyes

Was this boy the same as her? Was he a curse too? He looked normal enough..but so did she

His hair was bright yellow, messy and short..he also reminded her of a kitty for some reason

She kept staring at him.."is it why you're sad?"

She shook her head..kept shaking it and started sobbing again..

A worried expression appeared on his face..along some slight panic "p..please don't cry"

She cried harder..soundly, and now he was fully panicked

"Aa..um" he was looking around for something to do, then jumped as he felt a head on his chest..

Hiromi was much smaller than him, even though if she had to guess, she'd say he was about two years older than her

His expression changed dramatically..it was as if he himself was going to cry..

He stayed awkwardly still..not knowing what to do..all he knew that he was deeply sad for her

..

His back was getting stiff..he'd been still for some time now, Hiromi had cried herself to sleep...and now, ever so uncomfortably..her head was on his chest in an awkward position

He straightened his back..and when he did so, her head fell to his right thigh..he closed his eyes then slowly opened one eye and gave a relieved sigh when he saw that she was still asleep

He decided to stay with her..she was asleep and he didn't want to disturb her..he didn't have to go home, it wasn't going to be any emptier than it already was if he didn't

..

His head was nodding every once in a while..he was getting sleepy

He laid back and made sure that his thigh didn't move from under her head..before he himself, fell asleep

(A/N)

So there it is guys...please vote if you like it and comment your reactions/opinions


	6. I think I know how it feels

"Oh, you're awake" said the nurse changing the IV "good morning"

He nodded tiredly..how long had he been asleep? It felt like a decade

"How are you feeling?"

'Crappy' "better" he said in the deep morning-voice

"You had a visitor this morning" she said conversationally

What?! Did the Hokage's tongue slip in front of Guy?! He closed his eyes, pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed "who?"

"Lord Hokage" she said coyly

He sat up with a perplexed expression..that was worrisome, the Hokage wouldn't visit for nothing..was there something wrong?...Hiromi!

"What did he want?!" He asked urgently

"Gee, I don't know...he said he was looking for some little girl that he thought was here"

His eyes opened widely..of course he would look for her himself..he wouldn't risk sending anyone for fear of spooking her

He removed his blanket and looked at the nurse who looked surprised "what a-"

"Please remove this..I have to go"

She wasn't sure that refusing was the right thing to do..she hesitated for a while then nodded

"What's going on? Something is the matter?" She said hurriedly, doing as he asked

"Nothing you have to worry about" he said getting up and picking his vest and headband before jumping out the window

The nurse gasped in surprise before making a poker face 'typical'

"Hey... up" the boy said worriedly

Hiromi was mumbling in her sleep and her cheeks were flushed..also, she wouldn't wake up

He was freaking out...was she dying?

" ..wake up" he shook her gently

"What do I do?" He said, hands holding his head...it's not like he had anyone to go back to

He couldn't leave her in order to go get help..so he decided to carry her to the village

Before he could do anything..she started acting..weird..well, weirder

Her face was scrunching for a couple of seconds before relaxing into a worried expression, then hurt..etc

He was about to ignore it before noticing the lake...the water was as if it was..not boiling, something like it was being pulled upwards..some drops even elevated in midair

And not just the lake..even the puddles of water nearby..

"What the.." he said slowly in astonishment

Tree leaves and branches bowed up..it was but for a second before everything went back to normal..

He heard a sound and looked down to find her awake

"Y..you're awake!"

She looked at him "you're still here" She said lowly in surprise

"I..couldn't leave you alone, y'know..t..there are some creepy people around" he said nervously with a grin, his hand on the back of his head

"Thank you" she said in a low tone then added after some time "y..you should leave" she said in an urgent tone

"And why is that?" He said, sitting down stubbornly

She did a double take..surprised...why didn't he leave?

"It's...I'm not..safe" she said guiltily, looking down as her eyes started to flood

"And why is that?" He said in the same fashion

"J..just leave!" She exclaimed

"Nope..I'm staying...besides, I always come here, so you can't order me to leave" he said laying down with his hands under his head

"Fine...then I'm leaving" she said getting up and stomping her foot

"Woah!" He got up after her "where are you going?" He said following her

"It doesn't concern you" she said stubbornly, crossing her arms and pouting

"Fine...you asked for it" he said crossing his arms too

She kept walking and he was hot on her tail...she looked at him sideways and noticed that he was following her..her pout changed into a surprised expression before it changed back into a stubborn one as she sped up a little

Noticing him doing the same she sped up more then more until they were both jogging

"What do you want with me?" She asked

"I don't know" he said with a grin

She furrowed her eyebrows...this kid was weird, she sped up more so she was running but he could easily keep up..she wasn't surprised, he was bigger and older than she was..

But she was flexible..she took some hard routes and ran between trees..he had a bit of trouble but could keep up nonetheless

"Hey are you okay now?" He yelled

"What do you mean?" She yelled back

"You were doing some weird faces when you were asleep..your cheeks were really red and you were mumbling some stuff"

Well..now that she thought hard about it..she remembered having a bizarre dream..more like a nightmare..some colors and memories..all in all, it wasn't pleasant

"And what was up with the lake?..I've been there a lot..it'd never done anything like this"

"What?" She called

"The lake..well, the water did some freaky stuff just before you woke up..you missed it by less than a second..believe it!"

She didn't remember doing anything...this was bad "you really should leave" she said, almost pleadingly

"Na-uh" he shook his head

"Darn it!" This was the closest she got to cursing..she was changing..beginning to become a bad person..she looked down as she remembered..a worse person

"Cheer up will ya!" He yelled

He got her attention, tears in her eyes, she lifted her head to look at him

He got nervous seeing her tears "I..I mean you shouldn't cry.." he got a bit more confidence "no matter what happens...be strong, believe it!"

Hearing what he said, she thought...she knew that he had experienced a good deal of pain from what he told her the night before about how peoples' eyes despised him..and him talking about strength.. "don't you ever cry?" She asked in a whisper..hesitant about weather she wanted him to hear her or not

"No..never" he said in his enthused manner of speech "I get sad sometimes..but I never cry..because..because.." he thought about his wording before continuing "because when you cry..it means that you are okay with losing"

Crying meant accepting defeat..that was something she would think about for a long time to come..

She stopped running..then so did he, looking at her with a surprised expression before it was replaced with a smug one "hehe..I wo-oah" he exclaimed as she collapsed, unconscious

He caught her before she hit the ground "damn it!" He said worriedly before gently placing her with her back to a tree "what is wrong with you?" He said sadly, sitting beside her, hands around his knees as he rested his chin on them

..a couple of minutes later..

She slowly blinked to see a pair of worried eyes staring back at her "you're awake" he said with a warm smile

She unconsciously smiled back "sorry" she looked down

"For?" He asked, hands behind his head

"Worrying you"

"Don't be silly" he waved her off "why did you faint anyway?" He looked down "'m sorry if it's because I made you run"

She smiled a closed-eye smile "no, you don't have to worry about it..it's nothing, happens all the time"

It was supposed to reassure him..or at least she thought so "you pass out all the time?!" He said in worry/astonishment

"Well, not really..it's different stuff"

"What do you mean? Did you see a doctor?"

She felt a stab in her heart...why did the subject have to come to that? Her eyes flooded again and her lips wobbled...she bit them in an attempt to hold tears in

His expression immediately changed to that of worry..he really panicked when seeing her tears

"I..I didn't mean t..to make you cry"

Crying means accepting defeat? Well what had she to fight for? She was already defeated...she'd already hurt enough people and she wasn't about to fight to hurt even more

She leaned forward..needing some warmth..something to hang on to, she found nothing but the boys chest..on which she leaned, silent tears soaking his clothes..

He didn't know what to do...by instinct, he hesitantly wrapped his arms around her..the gesture was completely foreign to him

She didn't move, she just stayed still, wishing that nothing happens past that...that she didn't have to worry about anything anymore

In a couple of minutes, she broke the silence "thank you" she said in the lowest tone possible

His response was to hold her tighter, resting his chin atop her head as she closed her eyes

He'd never felt this warm before..all his life until that point was being attacked by others, if it was by words or other means..but she, she was the first person to ever get close to him, the first one to give him warmth the way he was giving her

..

"Why didn't you run away? You saw what I did back there" she said after some time

"What? You mean you did that!" He said in amazement holding her by the shoulders to look at her "awesome" he said slowly

She was surprised, she blushed upon the look he was giving her and how close his face was

She sat up and put some loose hair strands behind her ear "how can you say that?"

"Because that's what I think" he shrugged and took his usual stance, hands behind his head

"But what...what i..if it hurts people?" She said somberly

"What is it?" He put both hands on the ground, looking it her with interest

She scratched her head "I don't know what it's called..charka or something"

He giggled "ch..chakra"

She blushed and looked away "yeah, that"

"What about it?"

"It's..different, It's dangerous" she looked down

"Chakra isn't dangerous!" He said

"How is that?"

He took a deep breath then sighed, thinking about his words carefully "well you see, chakra itself is just a power..y'know like weapons...some people use it for bad and that's when it's dangerous..but some people use it for good and protect people they care about..." he said then added enthusiastically "that's why I'm gonna become a Hokage and protect you and the village..Believe it!" he said with a toothy grin

She looked at him with sparkling eyes, believing every word he said...she nodded quickly with a smile of her own

Roar..and a blush

He laughed "I'll catch us some fish, I'm pretty good at that" he said, his grin never leaving his face

She blushed more and nodded before getting up after him

They walked a few meters until they reached a stream, he easily climbed a tree and got a branch

She watched carefully as he made a makeshift fishing rod "how do you know how to do this?" She asked

"I live by myself so I have to learn a couple of things" he said with a shrug, not taking his eyes off of his task

After he was done, he threw the bait into the water and they sat nearby, waiting for a fish

They looked at each other for a second before he spoke "sooo...what do you like to do in your free time?"

She swallowed and looked down before looking up again with glowing eyes "Draw...read, I read a lot"

"Nerd" he said with a pout "no wonder you talk like grown-ups"

She pouted back "and how is that a bad thing?"

"It's not...I just don't like reading that's all" he said, laying back and looking at the sky

"Why?" She asked, doing the same

"It's boring, I like to do fun stuff...like throwing a shuriken..or playing hide and seek.." his tone got lower "I don't play that a lot though"

"What are those?" She asked with interest clear in her voice

"You don't know what a shuriken is?!" He looked at her with surprise

She looked back and shrugged

"It's a ninja tool, looks like a star"

She looked more clueless than before

"I thought you read a lot!" He whined

"I don't read about shu-whatever!" she defended

"Anyway, I can't have one until I graduate the academy..I'll show you one then"

"Academy?"

"Yes, that's where we learn to become ninja"

A clueless face again

He grabbed his hair into fistful out of frustration "aaah, you really don't know what a ninja is? Shinobi?"

"I've heard the last word before.." she was thinking

He sighed "I'll show you what a shinobi is when I become one" he said optimistically

She nodded with a closed-eye smile

"And hide and seek is..y'know what? Let's play!" He beamed and got up "get up" he offered his hand which she took and he helped her up

She looked at him for further instructions

"Now, I'll close my eyes and count and you go hide..then I'll look for you..okay?"

She nodded "'kay"

He did as he said while she sneaked past him..

She looked for a spot to hide..a spot behind a boulder seemed as good as any so she hid there

She sat down with her back against the boulder and waited..

She felt a tiny tickle on her left arm and when she looked at where she felt it, she found a ladybug

"Hey there!" She said gently in a whisper..she carefully put her finger in front of it and the insect crawled on it

"Woah! Pretty" she heard the boy's voice say in a slow, amazed whisper

She jumped in surprise causing the ladybug to fly away

She turned to find him laying on his stomach atop the boulder, his chin resting on his hands

"You scared me!" She whined

"Found ya" he said then jumped down "your turn" he added with his usual toothy grin, hands behind his head

She did the same as he did before, and turned her face towards the boulder, closed her eyes and started counting

She didn't know when to stop, but judging by the time it took him to find her..she decided to count to thirty..

When she finished, she started looking around..

She walked around for some time before noticing the same colors he was wearing, standing behind a tree, giving her his back

She wanted to scare him the way he scared her..so she grabbed him by the shoulder and quickly turned him around

The first thing she noticed was that he was abnormally light..

All color drained from her face as she unconsciously shrieked..he was a boneless, white-eyed, doll-like..thing

A laugh, then something attacked her tickling

She didn't know how he did it, but he was okay and was now engaging her in a tickle fight..

"S..s..stooop" she said laughing and trying to get him off

He was laughing his heart out too..

He finally stopped after she started shedding tears and laid on his back laughing

It was a while before they finished laughing..

She sat up and tried to regulate her breathing and he did the same

"F..found..y..you" she said, breathing heavily

After they both calmed down..they got up and he started counting

She hid on a tree with lots of branches, so many that she could hardly fit there..but she could take anything in order to get revenge..

He looked for sometime before reaching the spot under the tree where she was hiding..

She waited for him to give her his back then jumped atop him, she hung to his back piggyback style and started ruffling his hair so it became more of a mess than is already was

"Monsterrrr!" She growled doing so..

"Aaaaah" he tried to get her off...and like before, they ended up laughing on the ground

She opened her eyes and noticed something "a fish!" She said, noticing a movement in fishing rod

They got up and hurried to where the rod was, he took it and pulled..the thread came out of the water with a fish biting on it..

"Yaay!" She exclaimed jumping and clapping...soon, her enthusiasm dulled and she looked at him with furrowed eyebrows "we...are going to eat..it?"

"Um..yeah?" He said with an innocent look

"But then it'll die, won't it?" She asked

"I guess" obviously

"We can't do that!" She said sadly

He thought about it for a while "but that's what fish are for, right?"

"I don't know, what if it was bringing food back home and now it's the food..." she said sadly then smiled "I think we should give it food and let it go" she nodded, proud with her idea "what does it eat?"

"Worms"

"Ughhh" she sat down with a frustrated sigh "then the worm will die too" she laid back

He thought for a second "well then let's just leave it...I'm sure it'll find food on it's own"

"Okay!" she sat up with a goofy smile

He put the fish back in the water and they watched it swim away

Hiromi gave a little goodbye-wave before turning towards him

"Now we have to find something else to eat" he said tiredly but then his face lit up as he said "Ichiraku!"

She gave him a clueless expression causing a sweat-drop to appear on his head, together with a look of disappointment as he lowered his head..she furrowed her eyebrows, did she blaspheme or something?

"I can't believe you" he said from where he was sulking in the corner

She tilted her head "I've only been here for about a month..if that changes anything" she said unsurely

"Well then it's my duty to introduce you to the greatest place in the whole world!" he said, hands on his hips as an imaginary cape flapped in the wind

"But...I can't go back to the village" she said, holding one of her hands with the other, looking at the ground

He sulked back in the corner of sadness..

"Sorry" she placed a hand on her head and forced a laugh "you can still tell me about it"

"If you say so" he said, sitting next to her "where can I even start" he said in a mixture of fake-frustration and excitement "the place is kinda small...you have to wait for a couple of minutes after you order, which...I don't like, then you get your ramen..my favorite is miso ramen, when I have extra money...old man Teuchi puts me some barbecue porc slices and they're awesome...I eat quickly so the noodles don't have the time to become soggy..and then I drink the soup..I always end up eating more than two bowls and finish my money before the end of the month" he said the last with a laugh, a hand behind his head

"Oh man, now I'm even hungrier" he laid back, when he didn't get a comment from Hiromi, he looked at her to she that she was fighting tears..not again!

He yet again, panicked..what was up with her and tears?!

"'M okay" she said with the world's most fake smile "it's...I'm pretty sure I've been there before"

" you didn't like it...is that why you're crying?" he said quickly

She chuckled, reliving him a bit "n..no...I loved it, and I'm not crying" she wiped her eyes, even though she didn't shed any tears

He was curious for the reason she cried, the reason she didn't want to get back to the village and the reason why she faints "w..what is it?" He said hesitantly..he was partly eager to help too

She dropped the act "what is what?" And tried to act ignorant

"What is wrong?"

She didn't speak for a while and he thought she wouldn't but.."everything" she said in a choked-up voice and a shrug

He felt a tug of sadness, furrowed his eyebrows in sympathy and listened..

"I've...I've made someone..someone I love..go away...the only person that loved me, I hurt him beyond repair" she said in a more choked voice

He was silent for a while then said "Man you really can talk like grown ups" he said with a sad chuckle before going silent "I don't think I know how you feel" he added after sometime

She turned to look at him

He shrugged "I don't have anyone..so I don't know what it's like to lose them" he said matter-of-factly

She watched him as he spoke..seeing the deep sadness and pain behind his seemingly nonchalant words...to any eye that saw that goofy cheerful kid, it was impossible to predict such deeply rooted feelings

Just like whoever saw her before, could never imagine her hellish history...they both bore feelings they shouldn't

"But there's one thing I do know" he said in a different tone "you can never run" it was as if he wasn't speaking to her alone "the more you run, the harder it becomes to accept what's real"

It was clear that this wasn't the first time he said those words, or maybe thought about them

"But when you stop and face what's real...you learn to live with it..in time, it becomes...less painful...maybe you can even find an answer"

She remained quiet, thinking of his words carefully "you too can talk like grown ups y'know"

He grinned with a chuckle, one hand on the back of his head shyly "y'think!" And just like that, he went back to being the goofy idiot

She chuckled distractedly..thinking about his words more..

..

They sat there for some minutes before he broke the silence "we still haven't had breakfast y'know"

"Hm?" She snapped out of her thoughts

"I said we're still hungry" his stomach voiced it's agreement

She chuckled "yeah" she hadn't had food since the day before

"Well, let's look at our options...we can't fish..we can't go back to the village.."

She looked at him "I didn't say we couldn't..I said I can't"

"Yeah, yeah..nice try, I'm not leaving you, now am I?" He said in a bored tone

She smiled and they went quiet before she spoke "why?"

"Hm?" He turned to look at her

"Why didn't you leave..you've gotta have something to do?"

"Yeah, I have...I'm watching over you" he said with his usual grin

"No, really..why?" Did he always stick around strangers? Not that she minded him..she was just curious

He sobered and looked down...was silent for sometime before speaking "it's...you..." he didn't know how to word it, unlike the words he said before, the ones he practiced..said multiple times..to himself "..when I ask kids to play..they tell me to 'buzz off' or 'go away'...in the village, whenever I walk by..people look at me like..like..I don't know...they don't look at me the way they look at everyone else...no one is ever nice..." he paused and remembered something "well there is Shikamaru and Choji..they're okay...but they don't know..how it is to be...like...like this" he gestured himself

"they're best friends..I think there parents are too..and people don't look at them differently...but last night at the lake..I saw someone with the same eyes as me, it was strange...and you didn't tell me to go away...well you did, but I know it was because you thought you will hurt me, y'know" he gave a small chuckle

"..I saw that you were like me, and...I know how it is...so I felt like I should..help? Maybe?...I think..I didn't want you to be alone, because I know how it is?" He himself wasn't sure of the reason "and we played hide and seek, so there's that" his grin spread across his face, lighting his childish features

He jumped as he was pulled into a hug..she didn't say anything and when she pulled back she gave him a closed-eyes, heartfelt smile..it was both: out of appreciation and sympathy..and because of the confused/surprised expression and blushed cheeks he had

(A/N)

Sorry for the delay guys, but there it is *grins like Naruto but doesn't look half as cute*

I literally love this chapter, I put my heart in it so I really hope you like it

As always, comment your reactions/opinions about the events and what you think of the chapter as a whole and vote if you think it's worth voting for


	7. In my pain-filled heart

He too smiled a small smile, his shocked expression still showing

She giggled and got up, then offered him a hand..which he took and got up "I have a game we can play!" She said

He looked at her sideways with a suspicious expression "You didn't even know what hide and seek was"

She pouted and mirrored his expression "but I know this one"

"Alright, what is it called?" he said with the same expression and a challenging look

"Catch my tail" she said the same way

"Sounds pretty lame"

"Why don't you see it first then speak later?" She said, hands on her hips

"Fine" he responded, crossing his arms

"Alrighty!" She said happily

He smiled

She walked towards a tree and tried to climb it "what are you doing!" He said worriedly, going after her

"Ge..tting..a..branch" she said climbing

"Come down, I'll get it"

"Nope" she said, almost there "jerks" she muttered

"Plural?" He asked with a puzzled expression

"Yeah..you and him both, I can handle myself just fine!" She said, sitting atop a branch, trying to break another one

"Who is he?"

"Kimimaro" she said, keeping her eyes on her task "he's...well, I lived with him and lord Orochimaru before...before"

"And why is he a jerk too?"

"He didn't let me do stuff myself..didn't want me to 'hurt myself'" she said the latter mockingly

He grinned "well your too small..it's not our fault" he teased

She stuck out her tongue at him, then she quickly pulled it back in as she fell because she'd leaned on a weak branch and it broke underneath her "waaa!" She exclaimed

She didn't meet the ground as she'd expected, instead she opened her eyes opposite to a pair of blue ones staring back "see, too small" he said holding her

She blushed as he put her down and she pulled some loose hair strands behind her ear "got the branch" she pulled it from behind her back

He giggled and placed his hands behind his head "good job"

She blushed more "shudup" she said quickly making him giggle more

"Okay..what's the game anyway?' He asked

"Ahem" she cleared her throat "okay, so you have to use this as a tail and run away while I run after you and try to catch it" she explained

"Sounds fun..alright, how do I wear it?"

"We tie it" she said simply

"Do you have a rope?"

"Uh-uh" she shook her head

"Well...we can use this ribbon.."

"NO!" She said, holding her hands to her chest while glaring at him

"S..sorry" he said, in shock and confusion..

"I...it's okay" she said after a couple of seconds, standing normally again, she thought for a while before beaming "hey..didn't you use a thread for fishing?!"

"Yeah you're right!" He said, starting to look for the rod "there" he said, finding it

They tied it around his waist and now he had a branch for a tail..

She smiled, proud of her work..but he had a hesitant look..

He'd noticed it in the morning, but didn't want to bring it up for fear of seeing her tears again..she cried at just about everything, and he didn't know if she'd cry about this too, but he decided to give it a try

He sat down and took off his shoes "um.. those" he said with a blush, looking the other way while offering them

She gave him an innocent look with a tilted head "hm?"

"Y..your feet are scraped...you're not running barefoot again" he said in a serious tone, still looking away and blushing more..he wasn't used to ordering people around

She smiled a little, with a slight red on her cheeks "no..you need them"

"Not as much as you..now take them...I..don't like..repeating myself..yeah" he tried mimicking his teacher

She giggled and he couldn't help but chuckle too "you're funny" she said "I'll do as you say..kinda, I'll take one, and you keep the other...that's only fair"

He shrugged "alright I guess" well, he'll take what he got, at least she didn't cry

They each put on a shoe and she had to stuff hers in order for it to not fall from her foot

And then they were set to go..sort of

"Ooone..twooo..three!" He said then sprinted at three

"One, two, three" she counted, giving him some distance then sprinted after him

...

They both laid on their backs, breathing hard...the game was a ton of fun..

She'd stumbled and fallen multiple times because of the shoe and so did he..running around in the woods with one shoe took some time to get used to

She managed to touch the branch a couple of times and even grab quite a few leaves..so she called it a win

"T..that was fun!" He said breathing hard then added after he rested a bit "I thake it back...the game is awesome!"

"Told ya!" She grinned proudly

"Yeah" he said then added after a while "where did you learn it?"

"Kimimaro!" She said with a closed-eyes smile then started telling him about it

~a peace from the past~

Orochimaru had left the hideout about ten minutes ago and Hiromi was already itching to play..

The only opportunity she had was when Orochimaru left, because she feared making him angry..she'd never seen him angry and she wanted to keep it that way

It'd only been a year since she left her village..and she was still awkward with people..she was too careful with Orochimaru and all the grown ups she saw, because of her experience with the villagers..avoiding contact and trying to act her best in their presence

Orochimaru never really showed her any agression..except for when he'd extract her chakra which was agonizing, other than that he was always calm and had a wide smile on his face

But then there was Kimimaro..

She'd leaned that he was imprisoned for most of his childhood, something they both had experienced..

He was the only person she could fully be herself with..she didn't fear him, and was able to be the child she was around him

In time, he also came to care about her..to a point that annoyed her sometimes..

But him not leaving for the day was the best thing that could happen

"Kimo!" She exclaimed, getting his attention "you're still here!" She ran towards him and threw herself around him in a tight hug

He couldn't help a smile from spreading on his face "yes"

She pulled back with a huge goofy grin making him chuckle...she'd noticed how different Kimimaro was with her, he was so unlike the stern person he was with Orochimaru

"Kimo, please play with me!"

"No, I have work to do" he said, turning to leave

"Kimo, pleaaaaaase!" She whined

"No, Aku" he said then turned around when he heard something...his expression changed from calm to panicked in a blink..she was tearing up "oh, come now!" He said in frustration/panic

She was still on the floor, her legs crossed and was rubbing her eyes "but I want to play" she said an a low pleading tone, melting his heart

He felt horrible, he really hated seeing her tears "a..alright" he said with a sigh...he was gonna get hell for not doing the work Orochimaru ordered him to do, but he was okay with it as long as she stops crying

She stopped rubbing her eyes and peaked at him "really?" She said in the same tone

"Really"

"Alright!" She exclaimed jumping

He took a step back, was he just fooled by a five year old?

She giggled and took his hand "sit down" he sat down "I'm gonna do your hair for you!"

"W..what?!" He said in horror..he liked his hair the way it was, the last thing he wanted was for it to look like hers

"Mmhm" she nodded

"Aku I...appreciate it..but I have a better Idea"

"You do?"

"Of course..I'll be back in a moment" he said nervously, getting up

"'Kay" she sat down waiting for him

He didn't notice that his belt/rope was loose and that he sat on it when she pulled him down, so when he stood up, he stepped on it and fell backwards

She looked at him in shock for a moment, before exploding into laughter..

He furrowed his eyebrows and sat right then looked it her laughing..his cheeks turned rosy and he too laughed with one hand behind his head

"Okay, what's the game?" She said when she finished

"Umm, yeah, I'll be back" he got up without stepping on the rope that was being dragged behind him..the bow on his back was lopsided because one side was loose

She had an evil idea, having liked the scene of him falling..she stood up and stepped on his belt..

Of course he didn't fall because of how light she was...

She had an 'oops' expression, trying to hide a smile, and he looked at her in confusion at first before catching on to her plans

She didn't succeed in making him fall, but she did give him an Idea "okay, how about this...since you seem to like seeing me fall, try to make me! I'll leave my belt loose and you try to catch it while I run!" He mentally wiped a sweat-drop because he lucked out..he had no idea what to play, so this was a lifesaver

She nodded quickly, multiple times..spreading a smile on his face...and then the chase began..

~back~

"Wow, it must have been pretty awesome having him around" he said when Hiromi finished telling her story

She nodded with a smile and a faraway look as she remembered something

~a piece from the past~

She'd been here for over a year and a half..and yet, she could never get used to the pain or bare it anymore than the day before..

It always hurt the same if not worse, and this time was one of the worst..

She was strapped to that ugly chair, strange devices all around her as chakra was agonizingly being pulled out of her small figure..

But this time, one thing was different...through the past year and a half, every time this chakra-extraction took place, Kimimaro would be out to take care of something..she didn't know whether it was sheer coincidence or something else..but this time, he happened to be here

"L..lord Orochimaru" he said wide-eyed in a mixture of shock and horror..standing at the door

If Orochimaru was surprised, he didn't show it "you're early Kimimaro..I think you might have grown out of missions of that caliber" he said

Kimimaro didn't react to what he heard, for that his eyes were fixated on her pain-filled face

He seemed to snap out of it "lord Orochimaru what are you doing?! Why are you doing this to Aku?!" He asked, more like shouted..standing inside the room, facing Orochimaru

"It's necessary" was all he said

Kimimaro looked at her then back at Orochimaru, his eyes welling "p..please lord Orochimaru, please stop it, please.." he pleaded, holding Orochimaru's clothing into fists, he stopped to look at her, her screams shaking him to his core as tears slipped down his cheeks

He turned back to Orochimaru and kept frantically pleading, the last thing his eyes could recognize was a one-hand-sign from Orochimaru then everything went dark without him feeling anything

..

He woke up in his dimly-lit room, head fuzzy..events slowly flowing until he pieced them together and got up hurriedly

He ran to the room where he last saw Akuma, but all he found was the empty chair where she sat..he was about to leave but stopped upon noticing something..he slowly approached the chair, wishing that what he thought was wrong

He wiped it with two fingers and held them close to his face...there was no doubt, it was blood..blood drops were on the chair and some on the handcuffs..there were also stains of dried blood

He teared up again, and his lips wobbled, but he bit them and clenched his hands into tight fists before sprinting to where he knew Orochimaru would be..he bumped into something because his vision was blurred with tears and fell down, hitting the ground hard

As if he didn't feel it, he got up and continued running until he reached Orochimaru..where he fell to his knees begging "lord orochimaru.." he took a couple of breaths "please stop it...don't do this to Aku..if.." he took another breath "it it's really that necessary..do it to me instead" his eyes were pleading "I..I can take it..but she can't..Aku's too small and..fragile" few more tears slipped down his cheek "she can't...she'd been hurt too much already..please lord Orochimaru, please I'm begging you..do what you want with me I won't say a word..I won't even make a sound...please"

"Get up" ha said, calm as ever

Kimimaro has never cried like that before..at least he didn't remember crying like this...he got up, sniffling

"This has to be done..the only alternative is death" he gave this brief answer

His eyes widened in horror as words failed him

Orochimaru felt like explaining further "she has tremendous chakra inside of her, it has to be reduced or otherwise she'll die"

Kimimaro's eyes teared up again..'s..she'll die?!' He questioned in disbelief, not voicing his thoughts for that he had no strength left to move his mouth that was half open

...

She was asleep, a much needed sleep after the torture...only, she looked rather peaceful, sleeping like a little angel, he thought, sitting beside her, his cheek resting on the back of his chair

..

She didn't wake up until midnight, opining her eyes slowly, she could recognize a tired face resting on the chair that was put backwards in front of her..his eyes were half closed but he refused to sleep

"Kimo" she said in a low, hoarse voice

"Aku!" He was at her side immediately, eyes tearing up unconsciously "you okay?" he said in a broken tone

"Y're..crying..why?" She said in the same tired tone, but worry and shock were clear in her voice

He chuckled and smiled, eyes closing..relief was shown with every detail in his face "you had me worried" he scratched the back of his head

She looked down "y..you saw" she wasn't asking

He nodded "it's okay Aku..I'm with you" he said, holding her hand tightly with both of his, as a silent tear slipped down his cheek and onto the bed

She managed a smile before sleep took over again

...

Ever since that day, Kimimaro was overly protective..even more so than before, it annoyed her most of the time, but having him around more often was worth it..he would finish whatever assignment Orochimaru gave him, however difficult it was as fast as possible and return to the hideout

He strained himself too much in order to finish his missions in as little time as possible, dangerously nearing his breaking point, but he never complained, if anything, he always had a smile on his face, one that was warm and made her feel at home

And as time went by, they only grew closer..

~back~

He gazed at her as she was looking at nothing in specific..wondering what she was thinking about..he really couldn't figure her out

But nevertheless, she was the first person to get him so emotional, the first to get him so happy, and to get him to open up and speak of things he only said to himself...all in the duration of one day

Thinking of such things, he too zoned out..

They've played and talked, and each gained a friend, as the day passed quicker than ever, and now it was dusk..neither of them noticed their drift into a well deserved sleep after the eventful day

..

She abruptly sat up..waking from yet another nightmare...despite everything, a smile found its way to her face seeing the blonde boy sleeping in a funny position

Again, he didn't leave..

She felt a tug of guilt, at the familiarity of the situation...yet again, she had someone that, strangely enough, cared about her and she felt the same..so fast..everything was

It was all in one day...so unintentional...she tried to avoid him, keeping him out of her mess of a life, but he glued himself into it, weather she liked it or not..because now she knew, that she had another person she didn't want to be separated from

Sadly, with her it also meant another person to get hurt...first Kimimaro, who tore himself between his missions and her, but she was too little and ignorant to notice at the time..

The next was Kakashi who paid with his life..

And now her newly made friend..but no, she was going to make sure than never happens again..

She reluctantly but adamantly stood up..looked around for a couple of seconds before her eyes caught sight of a sharp object..

It was annoying as hell, could someone close the curtains or something!

Oh, right, he lived alone..

He stirred a bit, his nose catching the smell of damp ground..strange

Opining his eyes, squinting because of the bothersome sun..he was a bit taken aback when seeing the woods, then he remembered

He looked to his side, expecting to find the girl but finding nothing

He quickly sat up with furrowed eyebrows, looking around

"Hm?" He squinted in an attempt to see what was on the tree he was facing..it wasn't sufficient so he got up and walked closer

~last night~

"I don't know how to start writing something" she carved into the tree with the sharp piece of rock she found "but I didn't want to leave without saying anything..I couldn't say it to your face because I know you won't leave but to be honest, I just can't" she took a breath and sighed

"Thank you for everything, I'll remember everything you told me, every word..I'll keep it to my heart just like everything we did today...I guess it's yesterday now" she chuckled

"I never knew what 'family' was..until recently, Now I understand what brother means..you and Kimimaro taught me...you.." she chuckled again "y'know I just noticed that I don't know your name..I think it's for the best" she felt a tug of sadness

"I'm bad..a curse..an Akuma..I hurt people I care about, but I really don't want to..I don't want you to be one of them..that's why..I think it's better if I leave..but I won't run..I won't.." she took another deep breath and gave a sigh

"It's funny I think..these things on your cheeks make you look like a kitty..yeah, I'll call you kitty, not that I'll see you again, but.." she began the line with a chuckle and ended with a clenched heart

"And I think you're right..I do tall like grownups sometimes" Well this took her over an hour, to muster all the grownup-ness she had and write this..

She looked down and saw something she forgot to mention "I don't need anything to remember you by because I'll never forget..but 'you don't like to repeat yourself..yeah' so I'll keep the shoe..I hope you won't need it"

With that, she dropped the rock and prepared to keep her word...because she wasn't going to run, she was going to face reality, no matter how much it hurt

She ran her fingers over the carved letters on the tree..how can you wish to see someone again and at the same time wish the opposite?

She parted the place, a place she won't see again for a long time

~back~

He thought he knew the full extent of hurt..a lonely childhood, being hated by all, and there's that one time he cut his palm with a shuriken when he fell on it..

But this was different..not having anything and losing something were completely different things

~last night~

It hadn't been even ten minutes since she walked away from there..

A strange feeling made duck, just in time to see a hand pass above her head..she barely turned around to see a tall figure behind her when she felt that strange sensation again...only this time she couldn't dodge in time, and received a punch to the gut that threw her back, slamming into the tree behind

She didn't have time to comprehend what was happening as another punch to the face cut any connection she had with the world..

...

A terrible headache and an irony taste in her mouth..those were the first sensations she felt upon gaining consciousness

Suddenly, her eyes snapped wide open that it hurt

Was it all a dream?!...did none of what she lived really happen?!

How could that be...how could she be back inside her cage?!Kakashi, Kimimaro, Orochimaru, and Kitty..were they only fictions if her imagination?!

She began breathing hard and fast, sweating..feeling panic/confusion/loss it was all crazy...she was really losing her grip on sanity...when "I see that you're awake" an unfamiliar voice said

Was that supposed to be reassuring, or even further confusing?! She didn't know anything anymore

"Hiromi, I presume" Hiromi!...that was what Kakashi called her..so it was real!

She didn't say anything in response, still trying to process everything and not quite succeeding

"You're quite special, Hiromi" said the voice in the dark "none of the jutsus my agents used affected you..so they had to resort to...undesirable methods" he added, making her unconsciously place a hand on her bruised jaw

"You see, Hiromi...specimens like you are rare...and I like scarce individuals" the source of the voice was moving, accompanied by a sharp knocking sound on the wooden floor

"But in your case..the situation is different" he said, as the movement stopped

"Hiruzen's weakness always laid in his incapacity to do what is necessary..while I on the other hand, Am to do whatever is better for the village, regardless the means" with that, he appeared, facing her from behind the bars

He was an elderly man with a cane and a bandage covering his right eye..and the mere sight of him, sent chills up her spine, let alone the words he just said

"As I just mentioned, none of the jutsus my agents attempted had any affect on you, so..you can either cooperate or, we can use more..undesirable means"

She had no Idea what he was talking about..all that she recognized from all that he said was the name Hiruzen which she remembered Kakashi telling her that it was the Hokage's real name

She had no Idea what relationship tied this man to the Hokage, but she doubted that it was a good one since this mane seemed like the opposite of what the Hokage was

"I've already wasted enough time waiting for you to regain consciousness...in other words, you don't have plenty of time to think your answer.." as he finished, the cell-door opened and two masked people roughly hauled her out and onto a chair

Her breath was quickening..and all she thought about was not Kimimaro, Kitty or the Hokage..she closed her eyes and prayed for Kakashi to be here, knowing fully that it was impossible..but the mere thought of him gave her slight comfort in that moment of panic

..

She wasn't unwilling to cooperate, she just didn't know the answers to his questions, because apparently 'I don't know' wasn't the right answer..

And the 'more undesirable' ways were indeed undesirable


	8. Mutual pain

She knew that there were different kinds of pain, because what she felt during the chakra extraction differed from the one she experienced when she left Kimimaro, Kitty, and most certainly from when she heard that Kakashi died...that, she felt in her chest..and like she couldn't breathe

She recognized it to be caused by deep sadness..

But then there was the one she rarely felt...it was similar to when the villagers had attacked her..it hurt in a different way..the same way she was now being hurt..

With no regard to her age, they used all the torture methods they were familiar with..not fazed by her tears or screams..although they did notice how strange it was that she never plead, not once

She knew from experience how useless it was to ask for mercy..and she came to know that the best way was to close her eyes and wait for it to be over..only this time it just refused to be over..and every time they would resort to a different method that she couldn't but open her eyes

At a point, she started to feel that strange sensation from back in the woods..only this time it came from inside..

It kept on getting stronger and making it's presence clearer..to a point where she could recognize it, she just couldn't place a finger on when she felt it before..it was too difficult with all the pain going on

It was when that feeling became overwhelming that she recalled...and what she remembered horrified her..people getting obliterated..destruction..it was like back then..back at the village, her village

It was the same feeling, the same formidable power surging through her veins..same as when she wiped out the village, and then the hideout..

The idea of that happening again petrified her..she couldn't let that happen, she couldn't take anymore lives, even if that man was more of a monster than all the people from her village combined

She didn't understand that power, or that feeling..all she knew was that she had to suppress it..not even knowing how

"GET AWAY!" She shouted at the top of her lungs "RUN!"

They were startled at her sudden words..but more so at the light that was seeping out of her eyes and mouth

"What the.."

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" She screamed as the light intensified

They all cleared the room, and she, with all she could tried to push it down..a desperate attempt to prevent more blood from smearing her hands..

Unlike before, this time it hurt...her attempt at suppressing such massive power was impossible...and it all was over with an explosion of light..

She felt numb, her half-open eyes could make out the surroundings...they were charcoaled but still there!, all objects were disintegrated but the walls were there and the wood was black like a bombshell just went off..which kind of happened

She spat blood, eyebrows high up in disbelief...closing her eyes and grinning like an idiot through bloody teeth, consciousness left her

..

It appeared that she didn't completely lose consciousness..after a few minutes, she could hear sounds..they were far and muffled, she faced a great difficulty opening her eyes, but they abided, opening less than halfway...allowing her to see some disturbance..

Silhouettes quickly moved around the room...she could hear an urgent voice shouting...she kept blinking sleepily, and just before everything went black she could make out that the voice was shouting her name..

_earlier_

He swiftly landed on the ground, his injuries stung but he ignored them, heading directly for the Hokage's

Learning from the Hokage that Hiromi was missing, he summoned his Ninja Hounds and began searching

It was quite strange that not a single trace of her was found around the village...and even though a staff member at the hospital claimed seeing someone with similar features, they found no trace of her there

Not slowed by that, Kakashi and his hounds searched the village inch by inch, not stopping for sleep whatsoever..

After a long fruitless search..they suddenly picked up a spike in chakra that was unmistakably hers

All the fatigue from the continuous searching in his condition disappeared as he immediately sprinted in the direction from which the chakra was coming from..he was alarmed because according to the little knowledge he had about her power, it wouldn't go up like that without Hiromi being exposed to danger or harm

His remarkable speed got him to the location quickly, and surprisingly, the place was intact, which was a very bad sign..

He ducked, turning around and taking a kunai which he swung forward..it was dodged by his attacker

He moved his upper body back as another 'Anbu!' -he thought- sprang from the ground, holding a short sword..he remembered seeing it from his days in the Foundation

He swung his right leg, supporting his upper body on his left hand as he kicked the shinobi in front of him, breaking a tree-trunk in a half as the shinobi had substituted himself with it

He used the same leg to hit the ground, flipping himself backwards, taking a defensive position to analyze the situation

He already had his Sharingan exposed before arriving at the place, and according to the chakra he was seeing, there were only two shinobi out, but he was sure that there were more inside so he needed to wrap things up quickly

But it was easier said than done, he was facing two members of the Anbu, shinobi who had the same training he had..

One of the Anbu launched an attack with his short sword followed by his partner, Kakashi blocked them with two kunai..and they engaged into a sword fight..

Kakashi was outnumbered and this was going nowhere..he blocked two more blows and took a big leap backwards while weaving hand-signs in an unbelievable speed

"Fire style: fireball jutsu!" He said, forming a giant fireball, giving him the cover he needed..

His opponents jumped to avert his jutsu, and while they were in midair...he used water release to form a big puddle of water which he quickly electrified with Chidori..

Having no trees to land on for that the nearby trees were cleared by the fireball, they were left to land inside of his trap..thinking quickly, they threw their swords imbedding them into the ground so they landed on the grip of their swords..

Just as the water became safe to land on, the two Anbu shinobi were attacked by two clones, and were forced to block them by hand..

Their eyes widened, realizing what happened..the moment they made contact, the clones morphed into lightning, knocking the two shinobi out

With no time to celebrate, he quickly headed inside the cabin..

Inside the cabin was dark, and the moment he sat foot in there he felt a sharp pain in his stomach..he was stabbed by a short sword..

Followed by a poof! He disappeared into smoke

"A shadow clone!" His attacker said before a kunai was implanted into his heart..from where Kakashi emerged from the smoke

Behind his collapsing opponent, his Sharingan picked a fading chakra source..a chakra that uniquely belonged to her

His attention snapped back to the battle at hand as he reflexively blocked a sword with his kunai

He and the last remaining shinobi exchanged blows, barely keeping up with him as his attention kept going towards "Hiromi!" He shouted and received no answer, not even a sound as her chakra was fading into nothing

"Damn it!" He exclaimed angrily, before he suddenly gripped his opponent's sword with one hand, ignoring the pain and the blood that dripped from his hand down to his elbow..with his other hand holding the kunai, he electrified it, piercing through the enemy's chest..

He pulled his hand out and let go of the sword, hurrying towards Hiromi..breathing hard, soaked with sweat and his Sharingan closed...he had used too much chakra in his already injured body

He placed two fingers on her neck, eyes closed to focus on her pulse..it was weak but there, he didn't miss how her neck was covered with a viscous liquid

He gently cradled her, knowing that it wasn't wise to carry her on his back in her state..once they were out..he was able to take a good look at her

Her face was awfully bruised, her cheek was swollen and a streak of blood ran down her forehead and mouth, and to his surprise, despite all of that, she was smiling

He held her a bit tighter, securing her in place as he sprinted towards the hospital..again

He felt her snuggle in his arms, and take a deep breath..reliving him a bit

Somewhere along the way he ran into the shinobi Pakkun brought to the scene, he had asked him to do so when they first picked up Hiromi's chakra..it was a bit far from the village so he doubted that the sensory shinobi could have sensed it

...

Hiromi was taken care of, and was stable for the time being...she had no fatal injuries, it was clear that they didn't intend to kill her, and that they were bent on extracting information

..

He was asked a lot of questions by the nurse that was taking care of his injuries...the only injury he gained during the battle was in his palm, but his old injuries needed to be looked at too..

The nurse was a bit rough and was suspicious of his answers "ow!" He hissed and exclaimed when she deliberately tied his hand tighter than necessary

He stood up to leave when she finished, receiving a look that said 'you abusive ass'..

He was headed to Hiromi's doctor's office when he ran into someone " !"

He received a small punch in the stomach "Kaori!" She corrected

"S..sory, Kaori" what's up with women being rough today?

She smiled, a smile that quickly disappeared "H..hold on, what brings you here?" She noticed his wrapped hand "what happened?!" She said worriedly, taking his hand to inspect it

"It's nothing" he said pulling it out of hers "Excuse me, I have to go" he added, hurrying towards the doctor's office

He opened the door to the office and got in, the door hadn't closed when another person got in, he turned to see that it was Kaori

"Kaori!..thanks for coming" the doctor said warmly

'Just 'Kaori' what, did he get punched too?' Kakashi thought

"Of course, no sweat" she said with a wide smile "now what do you want?"

He turned to look at Kakashi "it's Hiromi, I'm sure you know about her"

Kakashi had figured that they would get someone from the Sealing core but Kaori never crossed his mind

"What? She's still here?" She says in confusion

"Not quite" the doctor said before he and Kakashi told her what happened

..

She had her mouth half open, not knowing what to say in response to the horrible news she just received

"W..where is she?" She said, like she was on the brink of tears

They accompanied her to Hiromi's room..

They were walking in the hallway when Kakashi lost his balance and used the wall for support

"Oh my-, you okay?" She said urgently

He nodded and took a second before he regained his posture,

"Kakashi, you need rest, I'm having another bed put in Hiromi's room-" Kakashi looked like he was about to protest "no" he cut him before he could say anything, Kakashi just rolled his eye

The doctor spoke to Kaori on their way before they entered the room and she hurried to check on Hiromi..

"Oh" she gaped upon seeing her, hands on her mouth..her head, left eye, cheek, limbs were bandaged and she was asleep

Kakashi was sitting on a chair near the window, purposefully averting his eyes from Hiromi because seeing her like this filled him with guilt, more than what he already felt

Her eyebrows furrowed in sympathy, but she looked back at Hiromi with a stern expression, she had to focus on her work

She stretched her arms above Hiromi, and closed her eyes to concentrate..

After she was done, she lost her balance a bit and swayed but didn't fall, unlike before when the other Sealing Core shinobi performed the same jutsu, this time Hiromi's chakra didn't quite affect

Kaori felt Kakashi standing behind her, she hid a smile "are you okay?" He asked, tone neutral

She nodded "but you aren't so sit down" she said, pushing him until he was back on the chair..he rolled his eye again with a fed-up huff

He threw his head back, it just had to be the hospital..

..

The bed was brought to the room as promised, and what remained was getting Kakashi on it

Kaori didn't leave, she assigned herself to stay and take care of the two kids "chop chop" she made a 'come here' motion with her hands

For the umpteenth time, he rolled his eye and lazily got up, dragging his feet to the bed...it was both, because he could barely walk and because..well it was a hospital bed

When he slouched on the bed "just like that?" She said in an unimpressed tone

He raised an eyebrow

"Vest, shoes?..you're in a hospital y'know"

"They'll be alright" he said, half asleep already

"Maybe, but you won't..you need to lay properly for your injuries to heal well"

He opened his eye and gave her a confused look

"The doctor told me everything..I'm sorry, I shouldn't have let you take Hiromi yourself.." she said, looking guilty

So that's why she was staying? She thought it was her fault?..he hid a smile

"Now c'mon, sit up!" She commanded

"Fine" He dragged the word a bit..he sat up, unzipped his vest, and started taking it off slowly, because the movement really hurt all over

"Gimme this" as she took it off or him, the stench of blood hit her..she gagged "god! You were planning on sleeping in those!" She said disbelief

"Well it's mine..mostly" he was grossed out himself, but he decided to be a smart-mouth..it wasn't like he would choose to sleep in blood-soaked clothes, but in his condition he would sleep in a puddle of blood rather than go home to change

"Yours?..I'd figured you for a better shinobi" she teased, putting the vest away

"You figured wrong" he said, kicking off his shoes, not in mood to explain

"This needs to go too" she said gesturing his shirt, then she carefully began taking it off

The shirt was off, revealing his bandage-covered body and arm..when her hands passed close to his body, she could feel by his chakra that the wounds there were really bad, so the blood was from these wounds, not new ones

Her eyebrows furrowed in concern, as she placed the shirt away, atop the vest taking a glance at Hiromi

..

"You went into battle like this" she thought out loud, breaking the silence

"More or less" he said

She did a double take "you're still awake?"

"More or less"

..

"You could've died y'know" she said solemnly after a couple of minutes

"Maybe" his tone was serious, as if he had taken the thought into consideration

"You should've waited for backup"

No response

"You may be a good shinobi, but you shouldn't be so full of yourself as to go against an unknown foe alone..and in your condition" she didn't mean to sound mean, she was just worried and a tad angry that he would throw his life away like that

"You do matter y'know" she added "what do you think would happen to her if you died?"

"Well, she needs to be awake for that"

"Okay stop!" She snapped "stop treating everything like it's your fault! You didn't mean for her to get kidnapped, and you put your life on the line to save her! So stop beating yourself for god sake!"

"You don't seem to be doing any better than I am" he said calm as ever

"Don't change the subject" she said then mumbled "you no none of it"

He chuckled..oh he knows plenty..too much of it "all ears"

She shuddered "it..it doesn't concern you!" She said stubbornly.."what's that mark near your shoulder?" She changed the subject, seeing a red mark on his left arm that was mostly covered by the bandage

He chuckled 'don't change the subject!' Her words were "a tattoo"

"Well duh!"

"Anbu tattoo"

"What? You're Anbu?!" 'Explains some shit' she thought

"Just a fan" he liked teasing her, since he couldn't read or sleep..this was the next best thing

..

"I was too" she said after some time

"Now you're three?"

"Har har" she said plainly, hiding a chuckle..it was funny seeing his usually-serious self in a teasing mood "Anbu"

His silence was her cue

"Things..didn't go well, it was too much..and so I quit" she hadn't told anyone about her reason..she didn't like bringing the subject from where she buried it..but she needed to talk to someone about it, someone who might understand, after all that time "it was a mission"

He waited for her to continue

"Taking out a rogue Anbu who stole classified files".."I was usually accompanied by my partner, but this time I had another member of my team instead and we pursued the target"..."we caught up to him and engaged in battle, nothing out of the ordinary"..."and then I did it..he was skilled, his fighting style bore similarities to my own..but I pieced him with my blade, ending the battle" her voice began to choke "I couldn't shake the feeling that I knew who I was fighting..so as his blood dripped from the edge of my blade, I took off his mask to see my partner staring back at me"

She took a few seconds to regain her composure "all through the fight, part of me knew exactly who I was fighting against..but I knew that if I looked under the mask, I would betray the mission...and so I fought in denial, and killed my partner" her voice was filled with remorse, and she wasn't looking at Kakashi when she spoke..it was like she wasn't even talking to him

"I'm sorry" he said, getting her attention

She got up "what are you doing, you should be laying down!"

He was in a sitting position, his back on the bed headboard "no, no It's okay" he said holding a hand "its not like I'm sleeping anyway"

She huffed and sat back down

..

The air was heavy with the silence so she decided to lighten the mood a bit "okay, tell me about that Icha Icha of yours" she said conversationally

"W..what?!" He thought he misheard

"That book you read all the time?"

"H..how do you.." he trailed

"Hiromi said it was your hobby"

He gave a small nervous laugh, scratching the back of his head with a slight blush appearing on his cheek

'Cute!' She thought with a chuckle 'now I'm really curious'..though since the subject seemed to embarrass him, she didn't press

...

The room was quiet..Kaori didn't say anything, hoping that he falls asleep...but it had been about an hour and he hadn't fallen asleep, though he did lay down..

The door opened and a nurse entered, Kaori noticed how Kakashi stiffened and slowly sat up, but didn't make a comment

The nurse placed a food tray on the overbed table and left without a word..

"Well, chowtime!" Kaori said enthusiastically, thankful for having something to do..she pushed the table over to the bed

"Oh I'm not eating that" he said as if it was the stupidest idea in the world

"It's not that bad"

He pushed the table to the side

"Aw c'mon, don't be a child now Kakashi!" She paused "I can call you Kakashi right?"

He shrugged

"Anyway, you need to eat..how long has it been since you last ate?"

"A couple days..I guess" he said thinking "but I'm not eating..that" he pointed a finger at the soup

"And why is that?" She crosses her arms

"It's probably poisoned!"

"Wha..what?" She said in a disbelieving chuckle

"That nurse hates me! She thinks I'm the one who did this to Hiromi!" He was speaking quietly

Kaori was lost in a laughing fit

"Laugh all you want, I'm still not putting it in my mouth" he said irritably, crossing his arms and looking the other way

"Oh..oh my..god" she said laughing "the look on your face" she laughed a bit more "and to think you just fought a death battle..".."scared of a little nurse"

...

It was almost dawn, Kaori tried to fight sleep but soon lost the battle..she was sleeping on the chair next to Hiromi's bed's footboard

Kakashi had taken off his headband but the headache was still too much, he stood up, not without noticing how difficult it was to do so, or how much it hurt..

He took the cover on his bed and used it to cover Kaori, and took a moment to appreciate the woman..she didn't have to do any of what she did, in fact it was quite strange..they only met her sometime ago, but she was kind enough to feel obliged to help

He really appreciated her company, it made his stay in the hospital a bit bearable..and the way she had suffered pain, even if it was a fraction of his own, made him feel connected to her

Taking a look at Hiromi, he made for the door..

He suddenly froze..a pulse of pain ran through his body..and the next thing he felt was his body hitting the ground..

"Oh m- Kakashi!" Kaori exclaimed in worry, haven woken up by the thump

She knelt beside him "are you okay?" She asked gently

He nodded with a confused expression, not sure himself

"Alright c'mon" she said, lifting him by his right arm to help him stand then walked him back to the bed..she gave a relieved sigh after laying him down "what happened?"

"I..don't know...I was walking towards the door but suddenly there was this throb of pain through my whole body, it's..strange"

"I'll check you over" she said holding her hands above him before closing her eyes..a few seconds later she furrowed her eyebrows then opened her eyes "I know this may be difficult...but try to suppress your chakra as much as you can" he mirrored her expression but did as asked

A while later she opened her eyes "hold on I'm pretty sure I have it with me" she said holding a finger..she looked into her bag and found a book, tapped the cover with one finger triumphantly before paging through it

..

"Aha!" She exclaimed before looking at him "okay, so you have chakra inside you that isn't yours..in fact it gives me the chills the way Hiromi's chakra does...it's probably hers, from when you carried her here after the extraction jutsu..the strange thing was why now?..I mean it has been some time so why did it start showing now...I felt your chakra earlier but I couldn't sense the presence of Hiromi's...I remember reading something about a poison that gets triggered when the victim infuses chakra..it's used by puppeteers for assassination of others shinobi since it leaves no trace in the victim...anyway, since you've recently been into battle..I think you might have triggered something in Hiromi's chakra inside you...I don't know much about it but I think it might be the same case with the poison...or not, I just have it stuck in my mind since I've only recently started with this book" she said the latter with a chuckle, scratching the back of her head

"Well, that's perfect..what else?" he said, all he was thinking about was more time at the hospital 'yay'..and more risk of Guy 'visiting' him

"Good news it that I didn't sense any damage in your chakra network so...and that's a guess, your body should be able to expel the foreign chakra...although, being the child you are, I don't think your body will be able to build up enough strength for healing, let alone expelling chakra strong as Hiromi's" she managed to keep a monotone then huffed in disbelief "I mean seriously dude! Couldn't you manage to stay in bed overnight?! Unbelievable!"

Kakashi chuckled inside..she really reminded him of Rin scolding him and Obito when they got hurt..and that was only after a couple days of knowing Kaori, he seriously dreaded the future

"Okay..okay" she said to herself "we need..um...um...and this is here..yeah I guess that's it...oh and..yeah!" She said the latter enthusiastically with a chuckle, mentality patting herself on the back

Kakashi was looking at his with one eyebrow up 'weird..' he thought

"Be right back!" She said leaving in a hurry, her head popped back into the room after she left "and don't think about moving or I'll tell Bogey-nurse" She said the latter trying to sound scary

He, yet again rolled his eye 'funny'

...

"Back!" She declared entering the room after a few hours absence

His eyed widened in surprise as he sat up, that wasn't just 'um and um' she was carrying a ton of shopping bags

She sat them down then slumped into the closest chair "pooped" she said tiredly

"What is..all that?"

All 'pooped'ness seemed to disappear, she immediately stood up, clapped her hands enthusiastically, stretched and picked a bag

"This.." she took a food container out of the bag "..is the soup I made, poison-free, hundred percent" she vowed

He had a plane expression, hiding an amused one

"And this over here.." she took another "is a light salad..we, mister, are getting you on back on your feet in no time!" She added, putting down the two bags

"As for that.." she reached for a far bag "it's a...shirt!" She jumped happily "I took the liberty of picking you some clothes..since I don't know where your house slash appartement is" she looked back at the shirt and squealed "isn't it cute!"

Sweatdrop

"Okay...let's put those on before I tell you what else is here" she took the T-shirt and a couple of others bags and went to his side

He was sitting up with difficulty, so he accepted the help he got from her..regretting it a minute later..

..

Blue lines covered his eyes, as he sat, head down..wearing a baby blue T-shirt with a little teddy bear on the front and some writing

"Awwww, I wuv cuddles too!" Kaori squealed jumping in the spot "so cuuuuute!"

He was contemplating weather to jump out the window or surrender himself to the nurse "you saw this as a good idea, how exactly?"

"What! You think it's not...you look like a huge teddy, absolutely huggable!"

The lines deepened

"Put these on!" She gave him the other two bags

"Hell no" he said in horror

"Aww, come on..these are teddy-free, cross my heart" she said.."I'll..be outside"

He huffed and changed into a pair of brown pants, matching the teddy bear on his shirt..cursing his existence

(A/N)

Omg I can't get the picture from my head! I would do absolutely anything to see him in that outfit...omg *fangirls hard* *dies* *soul takes the iPad and starts typing*

So how do you like this chapter?! How do you like Kaori?! Please comment vote and do your stuff...you know how I absolutely love reading them..

I'm writing this during my exams...so that's why it took so long to update, sorry!

I hope it's worth the wait...

See ya next time❤


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